Coffee and Flannel
by PurryCat
Summary: A series of smutty LL one-shots, mostly pre-s5. Without reason, probably without rhyme, just LL and a lot of dirtiness.
1. C&F 1: Thank you, Yale!

_**It's been over a month and I have a few more ideas for LL stories, so I thought I'd make it a series of one-shots. IDK how many more there will be, nor do I know if I make regular or semi-regular updates. Tell me if I'm doing ok and if it's worth reading.**_

_**Author's note:**__ I don't own anything._

_The mattress was just too good an opportunity to let go to waste! This is my first fanfic. Like it? Don't like it? Just leave a comment. Reviews would be great! Enjoy!_

**Thank you, Yale!**

On their way from New Haven to Stars Hollow, she asked him for the millionth time. But he didn't tell her.

"Please, Luke, please, please, please!", Lorelai begged.

"Nope, sorry, can't tell ya."

"But why?"

"Because."

"That doesn't count. Please, tell me, Luke. I promise I won't tell anyone!"

"Well", he knew he couldn't hide it forever, "Sorry, I can't tell ya!"

So she started singing. "Soooo, tell her what she wants to know, she'll find out anyway, tell her what she wants to know, she'll find out!"

Luke smiled. She knew she had him. Right there. "I told the two Steins that I plan on getting married again. Soon."

Lorelai was stunned. "What?"

"What? That's the _only_ thing I could think of, since my character witness was not a big help!", he said with a big smirk.

Lorelai was silent. She was happy. Oh so happy. He was getting divorced! Yay! She stayed silent and just enjoyed his company.

"Oh crap!", Luke said suddenly.

"What's wrong?", Lorelai asked.

"I'm afraid we have a flat tyre", he answered while he pulled over. He got out of the car, walked over to the passenger' side, knelt down and took a look.

"You want me to get out?", Lorelai asked.

"No, I'm fine. I'll just replace they tyre and we'll be on our way."

"You sure you need no help? I mean, not that I actually know how to change the tyre, but I could keep you company, you know. Maybe learn how to change a tyre. Because let's face it, Luke, I'm kinda lost without you... I mean in a situation like this. Otherwise, I'm doing totally fine in my life. Well, besides from the help I need around the house, fixing things, getting the Christmas ornaments down from the attic." She knew that may have sounded weird, her cheeks slightly blushing.

"Not to mention the fact that I feed you on a daily basis."

"Not fair! You make me feel incompetent and needless", Lorelai pouted. "So, you want me?"

Now Luke felt his cheeks blushing.

"To come out of the car, I mean."

"Ok, whatever. Come out if you like", Luke replied, desperately trying to sound casual, but not quite able to hide his smirk.

Lorelai loosened the seatbelt, climbed out of his green truck and walked to him. "So, what now?"

"Now, I'm getting the spare tyre form the back."

"Let me do it!", Lorelai squeaked happily.

"It's kinda heavy, you know", Luke said with a frown on his forehead.

"I'll be fine."

She walked back and climbed up on the bed of the truck. She made her way through the mess, held on tight to the mattress in order not to lose her balance. Lorelai spotted the spare tyre, loosened the rope, and tried to lift it. She failed miserably.

Luke watched her the entire time. Even if he tried to, he couldn't keep his eyes off of her. The way her slender legs made their way over the bed of the truck, her firm ass pressing into the mattress while she bent over to get the tyre. Oh God, if only her ass were on his mattress, not the stupid old one from Yale.

"Luke! I need help!"

"Comin'!"

He climbed the bed, saying "I told you it's heavy!"

"That's nice! Really nice!"

"What is?", Luke asked not understanding what she meant.

"Your maturity on the matter. You know, any other guy would have rubbed it in." She smiled. His heart melted. Oh that smile.

"Sorry", he said, not looking at her. Luke picked up the tyre like it was an air balloon, smoothly jumped down, put the tyre down, and looked back at her, signaling he'd help her down. She gladly accepted his hand and jumped next to him. Their faces just inches apart, Lorelai smiled and said "Thank you, kind sir!" He smiled back at her.

"See that bag over there?", he motioned to the bed of the truck, "You can bring it to me."

"Ok."

When he bent over to grab the tyre, he almost had a heart attack.

"What? Oh no. Crap!"

"Luke, what's wrong? Is your back hurt? Are you ok?", Lorelai asked, her voice full of worry.

"Oh, Lorelai. I'm so sorry!", he said, still bent over.

"Luke, what is it? You're scaring me!"

"My back's fine. But the other tyre's flat, too!"

"What? That's impossible!", Lorelai cried, bending over right next to him. "So what now? You don't happen to have another spare, now do you?"

"Of course not! Wait, let's see. You have your cell phone with you?"

"Sure."

"Ok, call Gypsy. She can bring a new tyre. In the mean time, I'll change the other one."

"Sounds good", Lorelai said, opening the door to get her cell from her purse. She called Gypsy and handed Luke the bag with the car jack and the lug wrench.

While Luke loosened the screws, Lorelai hung up the phone. She told him that Gypsy was just finishing Taylor's car inspection, and would be on her way in the next 20 minutes. Lorelai watched him carefully. She liked seeing his nimble fingers and imagined other places for them to go. She pictured his fingers on her nipples, how they massaged her breasts and finally how they moved down her belly...

"Lorelai!", Luke said loudly.

"What?"

"I asked you to bring me the spare tyre."

"Sorry", she said and went back to get it for him.

After a while he was done and decided to take off the other flat tyre already, so that when Gypsy brings the new one, all he had to do was put it on and they'd be on their way home. Lorelai asked if it was Ok to sit on the bed with the car jack under it. Luke said it was fine and wanted to wipe his dirty hands on some paper towels he always keeps in the glove compartment.

Lorelai opened it for him and their eyes fell to the big envelope next to the towels. Shyly, he grabbed a few towels, but he realized she already had read to whom the letter was addressed.

They both went back to the bed without talking, and she sat down, her feet dangling around. He joined her and put the dirty towels in the pocket of his jeans.

"Wanna talk about it?", Lorelai asked hesitantly.

"What's there to talk about?", Luke grunted annoyed.

"Sorry", Lorelai replied, determined to let the subject go. Luke was silent for a while.

"I mean, nothing changes. Not really. It was a mistake. We should never have gotten married in the first place."

"I'm sorry, Luke."

"No need to be sorry, Lorelai. I just don't think I'm the marrying kind", he said, knowing it was a lie.

"How do you figure?"

"Well, mostly because other people annoy me, they get on my nerves. I want to do what I want to do without having to ask someone's permission, or care for their feelings. And what happens after a couple gets married? They have kids. Can you picture me with a kid, Lorelai?"

"Not really", she also lied. She had pictured him with their kids numerous times, how he'd cook dinner for their family and how they were cuddled up on the couch together at night after the kids had gone to bed.

"I screwed up with Jess, that must mean something, right?!"

"That's not true, Luke", Lorelai said appeasingly. "Jess was a mess when he came here. It was a miracle that it worked for as long as it did. Don't do this to yourself, ok, Luke. You're a great guy. Do you know how many guys there are that would give someone their truck for an entire day to move Rory to Yale? Or fix things around someone else's house? And don't tell me you hate being in other people's company! You own a diner. There are professions that don't deal with human beings. It's called the hospitality business for a reason!", Lorelai's eyed sparkled. It was contagious. He gave her a thousand watt smile.

"Thank you, Lorelai. I guess Nicole and I just weren't meant to be."

She put her hand on his back and rubbed it gently. It sent a shiver down his spine. He hoped she hadn't noticed and looked down on his watch.

"When did you call Gypsy?"

"About an hour ago."

"Wow, she's taking her time!"

"Sick of me already?"

"No, that's not what I meant." He could spend hours with Lorelai Gilmore. Days. His entire life. "So, what's your plan?"

"My plan?", she asked curiously. "My plan for...?"

"For when you get home. It's your first night without Rory in the house and I could imagine you have it all planned so that you won't freak out."

"You know me too well! Actually for tonight I only planned to take a long hot bath and order some pizza, maybe watch a movie. For the week, I plan on buying some paint for my bedroom, maybe this shade of seasalt Sookie's been talking about."

"Sounds good", he nodded, "You tell me if you need help."

"See! Your offer alone makes you a great guy, and any woman would be glad to have you!", Lorelai said happily.

"What if I don't want _any_ woman?", Luke said, not believing his own ears.

"Well, of course not _any_ woman, obviously. You're special, you'll find someone _equally_ special", she said reassuringly.

"Stop it, Lorelai!", he said loudly. She cringed.

"What?"

"Seriously? Playing dumb on me now? You're _it_ for me! _You're_ my special someone!", Luke yelled, throwing his hands in the air.

She couldn't believe what he had just said. He kept on ranting. "You know why Nicole and I didn't work? Hell, why even Rachel and I didn't work when she came back over two years ago? Because my heart wasn't in it!"

That was it, she had heard enough. She faced him, cupped his stubbly face with her hands and kissed him passionately. She moaned when his tongue entered her mouth and felt his hands on her back. When they stopped to catch their breaths, she smiled. "You can't imagine how long I've wanted to hear that."

"You can't imagine how long I've been meaning to tell you. So when you think of me, you _don't_ think just nothing?!", he smiled back at her.

"Quite the opposite. I mostly don't allow myself to think about you that way, though. You're my best friend and I don't want to jeopardize that." Just when he leaned in to kiss her again, he saw Gypsy's truck out of the corner of his eye. "Gypsy's here", he said a tad sadness in his voice.

"Hey guys! Sorry for the wait. Taylor only lets me go when he's one hundred percent satisfied", Gypsy said shrugging.

"Dirty!", Lorelai said.

"So, I've got a new tyre in the back of my truck. I see you already removed the flat one. Man, two flat tyres. What are the odds?"

"This road is used by many trucks, I think the potholes are bigger", Luke said.

Gypsy brought him the new tyre and asked if he needed help. He said he'd manage and she was on her way back to Stars Hollow.

Luke was done after ten minutes, and went to the glove compartment to get a few more paper towels. Lorelai stood behind him and hugged him, letting her hands glide over his chest and stomach. "I don't wanna go home yet", she said and he turned around to kiss her. "Me either. I got an idea. Get back into the car", Luke said a bit mysteriously.

"God, I'm starving!", Lorelai whined as he pulled over at the gas station.

"Ok, I'll get some gas, you get inside and pick a few snacks and drinks. Sounds good?"

"Sounds perfect", she smiled at him and grabbed her purse. She went to the restrooms to pee, refreshen her deodorant and put on some lipgloss. In this very moment she was glad she was one of those women who could spontaneouly leave the country with her purse. Back in the salesroom, she saw Luke coming through the door.

"Hey, restrooms are good here?", he asked.

"Fine, actually."

"Ok, I'll be out in a sec."

Lorelai took a basket and put chips, cookies, twinkies, and a bottle of coke in it. She grabbed a bottle of water for Luke and decided for two different fruit cups, a turkey sandwich for him, and a bacon sandwich for herself. She stood in line at the cash register and paid for the food and the gas. When Luke came to her, he said he wanted to pay for it, but she insisted on it. After all, if she hadn't borrowed the truck, there wouldn't have been not one, but two flat tyres at the same time. He gave in.

Back in the car, she looked at him curiously. "Where are we going now?"

"It's a surprise", he grinned.

After only ten minutes he pulled over again, opened the glove compartment, took the envelope holding his divorce papers, got out of the car and threw it into the mailbox he had spotted seconds earlier. His relief was visible in those dark blue eyes of his. He got back into the truck.

Lorelai smiled at him. "So I guess, it's official. You're no longer married."

"Nope", he gave her smile that was worth one million bucks.

Twenty minutes later, he left the road and turned right. They drove on a dirt road for about a mile when Lorelai spotted a lake. Luke turned the car so that the rear was facing the lake. "Getting ready to dump my body in the lake, huh?"

"No, but the sun will set in about a half hour, and I thought it would be romantic to sit on the bed of the truck and watch it together."

"Bringing all your girls here, Butch?", she asked with a wink.

"Actually, it's the first time I brought anyone here. Well, you're not just _anyone_. I sometimes come here fishing."

Lorelai took the tote bag from the gas station and got out of the car. Luke climbed on the bed of the truck, making room for the mattress.

"Oh Luke, you can't throw the mattress in the lake!"

"Do you think I was gonna throw it in the lake?"

"Well, it kinda looked like it..."

"Please!"

Luke put the mattress on the bed, looked for the blanket he usually keeps in his truck and placed it on the mattress. He helped Lorelai on the bed. They sat side by side looking over the lake, their legs dangling down. She gave him the water, the fruit and the sandwich and started eating her own sandwich. They ate and talked, mainly about Rory and the Dragonfly Inn Lorelai planned to open with Sookie.

When they were done eating, Luke took Lorelai's hand and put a kiss on it. She smiled at him and said "Luke, I have to tell you something." He looked at her, nodding. "When you told me you did get married on that cruise after all, I thought my chance, actually our chance was gone. I thought you realized that you couldn't be with someone like me. And it kind of broke my heart."

"Lorelai, do you think I felt any different when you got engaged to Max?"

"You really are my best friend, but I was always attracted to you. I always had you in the back of my head. But the timing was never right. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't happy when I spotted the divorce papers in your glove compartment. It means I'm not going to end up in hell when I do this..."

As soon as the sentence was spoken, Lorelai let her ass slide off the bed of the truck, stood between his legs and started kissing him gently. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, deepening the kiss. She didn't know that his heart was beating as fast as hers. Luke's tongue moved from her lips to her cheeks, over her jaw to her neck. His arms went roaming her back, slid to her sides and gently caressed her stomach. Lorelai let her head fall back to give him better access. She moaned quietly and couldn't believe how good it felt, how good he felt on her. "Luke", she whispered.

He stopped, which earned him Lorelai's frustrated groan. He grabbed her by the shoulders to turn her. "Oh", she said when he saw why he did it. The sun was about to set. Luke put his arms around her waiste and his chin on her shoulder. "I love this", Lorelai said. "I'm happy you do", he replied while he pressed his lips on her neck. "Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Put your hands on my breasts", she requested in a lustful tone and he happily complied. He started kneading her breasts through the fabric of her top and bra. She closed her eyes and turned around to kiss him ardently. She knocked his baseball cap off his head and let her fingers glide through his hair. His hands went back to her breasts as he ducked his head. He kissed his way down her throat and inhaled deeply. He put hot open-mouthed kisses on her collarbone and mumbled "You taste so good".

Lorelai's palms went from his head over his cheast down his abs and her fingers slowly opened his belt. Her touch sent little shockwaves through his entire body when her knuckles touched his crotch. He moaned "Lorelai" and panted for air. It didn't stop her though. She continued to open his pants and felt his erection. Luke couldn't believe what was happening here. The woman he loved was holding his cock in her hands, only this time it wasn't a dream. He wouldn't be pulled out of this by the alarm at 04.45 like it had happened countless times in the years before. Lorelai tried to yank his pants and boxers down, so he leaned back, liftet his hips and let his arms support his weight while she pulled them down. She smiled at the sight in front of her, ready to do unspoken things to him.

Luke's position hasn't changed, his arms were deep in the mattress behind his butt, carrying his weight as he looked down on her. Lorelai started with a gentle kiss on the very top of his cock. She let her tongue circle the tip a little before she let it glide downward to feel it in its entire length. She put her hands to his balls, gently playing with them. "Jeez, Lorelai", Luke grunted. He was fighting the urge to close his eyes to fully enjoy what her gifted tongue was doing, but hewanted to see everything she did. She looked up at him with those beautiful blue eyes that were darkened with lust and desire.

His moans and groans were all the encouragement she needed to hear to speed up as she took more and more of him into her mouth. When she felt her gag reflex her tongue and teeth focused more on the upper part of his rock hard cock and she let her right hand do the work on his lower shaft. She stroked up and down with the same rhythm of her head. She clearly enjoyed what she was doing, moaning herself. Luke leaned forward, putting his hands on her head and carefully pushing her away. She released his cock with a popping sound. "If you continue, I'm gonna come. And I don't want that. Not yet at least."

"Luke, I want to continue. We have enough time for more", she said cockily. Thus, during dusk her mouth found his cock again and she picked up right where she had left off. This time, he didn't lean back, but stayed close to her, his hands in her curls. She felt his nails on her scalp as his orgasm built up. She hummed and the vibration made Luke tingle. He finally closed his eyes as he felt losing control. He panted heavily and between her name more and more curse words left his mouth.

When he couldn't hold it in anymore, he emptied himself into her mouth. Lorelai's tongue eventually stopped and she came closer to him to hug him. "That was amazing, Lorelai", Luke said smiling and a little out of breath. "My pleasure."

"Now let me repay the favor", he said with a develish grin. After he had helped her up, she laid down and he squeezed himself next to her on the narrow mattress. They were lying on their sides. "God, you're so beautiful", he said, still stunned by what had happened in the last ten minutes and the day in general. Luke planted a thousand little kisses on her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks, her lips, her ears, and worked his way down her throat where his mouth opened and his tongue started dancing on her hot skin. He was rewarded with a deep, loud moan when he hit the spot right above her collar bone. He took his time and trailed down the valley between her breast as his hand stroked down her side to clasp around her perfect, firm ass.

Lorelai turned on her back to give him better access to her cleavage which he gladly accepted. His fingertips moved further down and slightly touched her nipples. He slipped his forefinger under her bra to find her nipples hardened already. He let his hand move down over her top to the hem and pulled it up. She wore a sheer black bra. He liked the sight of her hard nipples under the see-through fabric. He cupped both of her breasts with his large hands and massaged them gently at first, then a little rougher through her bra. His mouth went for her nipple and he sucked it ardently, then he moved his mouth to give her other nipple the same treatment. Lorelai sat up so he could reach the clip of her bra. She took off her top and felt how her bra was already loosening. "Wow, I got me a bra expert!"

"Just eager to get you naked, lady", he replied with a smirk. Lorelai shook the bra straps down her arms and threw it next to her. Luke went right for her breasts, not getting enough of the taste of her skin, devouring her nipples. "Oh, Luke", Lorelai moaned as he used his teeth on her nipples. He showered each of them with open-mouthed kisses, suckling them wildly. Then his tongue made the journey downward over her flat stomach, while his fingers opened the fly of her jeans. His hand stroked over her denim clad sex and she lifted her ass to get rid of all the fabric that was only a hindrance. He stripped down the jeans, leaving her panties on, her flip-flops falling down on the ground. Lorelai moved up on the mattress, Luke moved down. She was buzzing in anticipation of what would come next.

The daylight was now completly gone and the moon and stars were the only sources of light they had. Luke's mouth came closer to the apex of her legs, as he deeply inhalted the scent of her arousal. His hand made its way from her knee to the inside of her thigh, and right before touching where she urged to be touched the most, he stroked down the other leg toward the knee. Lorelai released the breath she didn'r realize she was holding and whispered "This is the definition of torture, mister." Luke chuckled and let his tongue move over her panties. "Off, get 'em off!", she demanded. He felt his cock harden again as he yanked down her panties and Lorelai opened her legs, letting him drink in the sight if her trimmed dark curls. His tongue took the same route his hands had a few moments before, before he let it run along her dripping wet slit, his long fingers between her soft folds, only to pounce his tongue on her clit.

She had never felt anything like this before. She knew as soon as his tongue circled her clit vigorously, she was gone. It was the mixture of lust and fulfillment after the seven year long foreplay that let her climax built up faster than she wished. Her hands were in his hair as she panted heavily and started crying his name. He applied more pressure to the sensitive nub and pinched her nipples. "Oh God, oh my God, Luke. I'm coming, I'm coming!", she screamed with her hands grabbing the mattress.

Luke slowed down gradually, and moved back up to her mouth. They exchanged a hot, lustful kiss. "Hands down, this was the most intense orgasm I have ever had", Lorelai said. "Believe me", Luke answered, "I was just having as much of a good time as you did", motioning down to his crotch. "Let's get you finally naked then", Lorelai said. She stripped him completely and went through her purse to get a condom. When she finally found one, Luke said astonished, "You move your daughter to Yale andhave condoms with you?"

"Actually they were for Rory. I got them at the orientation for the parents. I forgot to give them to her, I'm afraid.", Lorelai said with a shrug. Luke took the condom from her hand, opened it and before he could roll it down his long shaft, Lorelai asked "May I?"

"Sure", he said. He didn't know how she did it, but it felt so good and sensual when she rolled it down. She lay back down and he leaned closely over her, the fine dark hair on his cheast lightly touching her nipples, making them hard again and sending a shiver through her body that ended right at her very core. He kissed her deeply, his mind going crazy about what he was about to do. "I really need you to be inside of me, Luke", Lorelai said half begging, half demanding. Luke positioned his cock at her wet entrance, his tip moving in an inch, then going out again. He repeated it, going an inch deeper every time he did it. He looked down to where they both were connected and couldn't help feeling happy and complete.

Lorelai couldn't wait any longer and put her hands on his muscular ass to push him deeper in her. His cock was filling her out completely. "Wanna know why I never had my fingers in you when I licked your pussy?", he asked and answered right after, before she could even guess. "Because this is the greatest feeling of all, my cock being the first thing in you. God, you're so tight", Luke said moaning. "Jesus, Luke. This feels so good", she replied, being more turned on than ever.

He finally thrust up into her, fast and hard. Lorelai made a purring sound as her lips curved into a feline smile. Luke picked up the pace and leaned forward to suck her nipples. Her hands were roaming his back and she whispered "Luke, I'm close again." His hands went under her back and brought her up. They now were both in a sitting position, her legs loosely wrapped around his ass. He kissed her throat and felt her inner walls tightening around his cock. Thanks to her oral performance, his own orgasm was still miles away, though it turned him on a lot to know that she was close again. When she threw her head back and groaned his name, he knew he wouldn't catch her this time. Two thrusts later she came for the second time.

After a short breather, Lorelai moved her legs so that she now was straddling him, never letting his cock slide out of her completely. Luke leaned back and enjoyed himself as she started riding him. She didn't move much, just a few inches back and forth. It felt incredible. Her short yet very powerful movements brought him a lot closer to his climax. Luke distracted himself by rolling her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. She kept the slow pace, letting him concentrate on the tiniest friction. His moans became louder and louder, and he used his right hand to rub her clit. Lorelai knew what it meant and took her hand to put it on his to intensify the pressure he was already applying on her clit. "Lorelai, come for me", Luke groaned when he felt he wouldn't last any longer. That sentence pushed her over the edge and he could feel her walls tightening again. Luke finally allowed himself to climax. Lorelai came right after she felt the warm rush he sent into her.

She collapsed on top of him, then slid off to lie on her side, both panting heavily as they looked up to the stars. Luke broke the silence after a few minutes. "So, I guess that means I have to keep the mattress. It's definitely something I want to keep to remember this moment by. Finally I could sleep with the woman I'm in love with for years."

Swallowing hard, Lorelai played down how moved she was, and replied smugly "That was my plan all along."

"Well, at least I distracted you good enough and you didn't feel lonely tonight."

"Ok, I changed my mind about painting the bedroom. Let's just do this every night!"

"Deal!", Luke said and pulled her close to his chest.


	2. A Normal Night

**Here it comes, the next one-shot. I have more ideas, so I'll probably update this story.**

**A Normal Night**

Even normal days are great. The routine, no crazy things happening. Well, one crazy thing that happens to drop by. That was all it took for him to feel good. Feel normal. Sometimes it gets even better. Never on Fridays though. Friday means one less meal to cook for her. It means pity coffee and pie at 9.30 at night. A time, when he's usually showered and upstairs in front of the TV with a cold beer in his right hand. But not on a Friday night. Friday night means his nightly routine is delayed by at least a half hour. His kitchen is never as clean as on a Friday night. Ceaser is long gone by that time. "I need to do a thourough clean-up at least once a week, might as well be on Fridays", he once defended himself after his cook had asked him to join him at KC's.

But today defintely was a better than good day. Luke enjoyed her company at any time she decides to come by the diner. The nights are special, though. It was something about the nights he couldn't quite describe. It was dark out, everything seemed more intimate, less customers were taking his attention. And more than once he went upstairs after locking the door and watching her go to her jeep, thinking how pretty she'd looked. Those thoughts never stopped. Not when he climbed the stairs to his apartment. Not when he stripped the greasy clothes off. Not when he was in the shower, washing the day off of him. And especially not when he went to bed, thinking about her. Wondering what she was doing at that exact moment. Picturing her in front of the TV with a buttload of junk food on her coffee table. Picturing her on her couch with her glasses on. Luke smiled at that thought before falling asleep on many nights.

Tonight was no such night. No thoughts of her. He got more. Lorelai sat in front of him, there were only three other customers in the diner. He was surprised to see her. Not that she never came by on a Saturday. In fact, she did it more often than a normal single woman would. The few dates she went on were painful for him, but he was grateful that he could count them on one hand per year. So when the bells had jingled five minutes earlier, his heart rate went up the usual amount. She sat on her stool by the cash register and said nothing. He put her favorite mug in front of her, poured coffee in it and waited for her to look up. When she still hadn't done so after a few minutes, he knew it wasn't a good sign. He suspected a new boyfriend or at least an admirer was a no-show. Because Lorelai clearly was wearing date clothes. Her hair looked and smelled amazing, even with the three feet between them he could smell it.

"You got stood up?", Luke asked curiously.

"I don't wanna talk about it", Lorelai said with indifference.

Luke reached for the notepad and pencil, leaned a little forward, his hands on the counter.

"What date is it? February 10th, right?", he said, his eyebrowns going up a little.

"Wow, I didn't even have time to answer. Yes, it's February 10th", Lorelai answered his already answered question.

He checked his watch, scribbled something down on his notepad, crossed his arms in front of his cheast, and read to her what he had written down moments earlier. He used his best news anchor voice.

"Today, February 10th, in 2001, 8.30 pm, one Lorelai Victoria Gilmore didn't feel the need to voice the reason for her pout. Stars Hollow Town Selectman Taylor Doose is considering to approach the Guinness World Record Committee because this was the first time this overly talkative woman denied anyone insight to her twisted mind. Her family is probably going to have her medically examined, only this time not for her digestive system or metabolism."

Lorelai looked up for the first time since she had taken a seat in the diner that night. She sighed. Luke grinned. She considered standing up, running away. She couldn't.

"It wasn't a date", she said sadly.

He took the bait. "Ok, so what was it?"

"Look at me, Luke", she demanded while standing up, taking a step back and turning around so he could see her from behind the counter. "Is this how I would dress for a date?"

He let his eyes wander from her red lips, down over her red see-through blouse and her black leather pants.

"Well, last week you were dressed differently, but maybe you just chose something more fruity for his week's poor bastard", he deadpanned.

"You know I wouldn't consider last week a date. A date picks you up, opens the door for you, shows interest in your personality, takes you home and kisses you goodnight. Last week, I went on a double-date for a friend, and the guy hated me enough to leave. Not that I minded that part. Seriously, I ended up here playing poker with you. Unless you considered that a date, I had no date last week." She waited for him to respond. "Not so much, I thought so!", she got more and more pissed with every word she had just said.

"Ok, what's wrong?"

"I told you I didn't wanna talk about it!", Lorelai said loud enough for the other three customers to hear.

If that was anybody she had just talked to like that, they'd be insulted, hurt even. Not Luke. He knew exactly what he had to do. He turned around, grabbed a plate on the way and walked to the pie counter. He cut a huge piece of apple pie, added a generous amount of whipped cream, low fat, of course, he didn't want to kill the woman he loves, and slid it right in front of her. On his way back he took a napkin and a fork and handed it to her. She looked up and he saw how the corners of her mouth slowly went up. That was all he wanted. He could stay with her, make her talk about it, but he knew it'd be just as silly as growing grapes in Alaska. He went to get the coffee pot and made the round. The couple just got up to pay, so it was just them and Kirk. And Kirk had to be home by 9 o'clock. Luke went into the kitchen and started cleaning.

He thought about the sweater that once had belonged to Rachel and wondered if Lorelai's mood had anything to do with it. He had yelled at her pretty bad after all. Publicly. That wouldn't explain her choice of clothing though.

"Luke, can I order another patty melt?", Kirk asked.

"No, I told you half an hour ago that I ran out of cheese", Luke yelled from the kitchen.

"Fine, then I'll just go. Maybe mother can make one for me", he answered and put a ten dollar note by the cash regsiter before he left.

Luke came out as soon as he heard the bells jingle. He locked the door, flipped the sign and went back behind the counter in three long strides, took the money, and closed the cash register. Lorelai grabbed her purse and reached for her wallet. Luke lifted his right hand and said "On the house." He knew she would be talking very soon.

"Thank you", Lorelai said, giving him a sincere smile, adding, "Screw the Guinness World Record Committee!"

He looked at her, feeling proud of his ability to make her talk.

"See, tonight was gonna be a great night. But then Lane decided to tell her mother the truth, and then there were three. Suddenly there were six and Sookie and I kissed our tickets goodbye. But that was ok. So it wouldn't be a super great night, but still a great night. Who knew that it would be a night that sucked big time?!"

"I'm confused", Luke said with a frown on his forehead.

"We were going to see the Bangles tonight in New York, but when we got there, the show was cancelled. So we came back here, and I suggested that Rory's friends could sleep over to make up for the fact that they wouldn't be walking like Egyptians."

She finished her pie and considered licking the plate. "You know, you make a really great apple pie, Luke. It reminds me of my mother's apple tarts. God, I love those apple tarts. But this is better. I can have it whenever and it doesn't require jumping through hoops."

"I take that as a compliment."

"You should."

"So you didn't get to see the Bangles to tonight, and Rory's having a sleepover. Why didn't you go out with Sookie. I mean, you already look great. I mean not great, but definitely...", he felt his cheeks blush, "nice enough to hit a bar or a club or something".

Lorelai smiled as he babbled.

"So, where is Sookie?", Luke asked.

"Emergency room", Lorelai said calmly.

"Figured", Luke replied just as calm.

"She fainted when she found out about the concert being cancelled. But she was fine. I guess her body is used to all those stress hormones. When we were passing Litchfield, her headache was unbearable, because she had hit her head on the pavement. So I dropped her off at the hospital. I called Jackson to tell him to pick her up. So... Here I am. Ruining your night."

"You're not ruining my night. I like you here. Keeping me company. Playing poker, whatever. It's always nice to have you around."

"Thanks, Luke, that's nice. You really are a good friend. Which is why I have to tell you, again, how sorry I am about the sweatshirt. Sookie told me about the former owner, and I'm just... really sorry."

"It's OK, you can keep it. I guess I wasn't prepared to see you in it. To be clear, I'm over Rachel. I don't want her back, in fact, I haven't thought about her in a long time."

"I know what you mean. I mean, Rory's dad was always a possibility, but I don't want to pursue someone because of a notion of being together, being a family. Rory's all grown up, she doesn't need him anymore."

Luke looked into her eyes and took her hand. She stared at him, wondering why the contact of their fingers caused a wave of heat through her veins. "Not to be too blunt here, but I think it's his own damn fault if he doesn't want to be with the two of you", Luke said. "You did a hell of a job with Rory and you can be proud of her and most of all of yourself!"

Lorelai smiled and said, "I had a lot of help, you know. Neighbours, friends, cute diner owners who could be persuaded to attend a caterpillar's funeral."

Luke let go of her hand, and went around the counter to sit next to her. They faced each other when he said, "So, you think I'm cute?"

"Yes, not only cute, but also incredibly decent, funny and extremely good-looking."

Luke blushed.

"Oh, come on. I've seen you in a bathing suit. Do you think I never checked you out?

Luke leaned forward, lowered his eyes and whispered "You know, I almost asked you out last week."

She touched his cheek, activating the butterflies in his stomach. "Who says you can't do that now? I can almost guarantee that this time Mrs. Kim won't be interrupting us", Lorelai said with a smile.

His smile turned to full wattage as he looked her in the eyes. "Would you like to go to dinner with me some time?"

"No, not some time. Any time. How about tomorrow night, and every night after?", she asked with her heart racing.

"Deal", he said as they both stood up at the same time, Luke's arms went around her waiste while her hands cupped his face.

They kissed passionately. Luke let his wands wander down and cupped her ass while her fingers pushed his cap down and tousled his hair.

Without talking they both moved to the curtain, stopped kissing only to climb the stairs in a hurry. When they reached the top of the stairs they resumed their hot kisses, their tongues fighting for control. Luke's hands now were caressing her stomach and touched the underside of her breasts. Luke was walking backwards through the frosted glass door when Lorelai opened her eyes to take a look around.

"Wow, so this is your place. I've never been here before."

"I know. Never thought I'd get so lucky."

"So, you think you're gonna get lucky tonight?", Lorelai asked with a smirk.

"I think my chances are pretty good", he answered arrogantly.

With that she closed the distance between them and kissed him softly, her hands now on his broad shoulders. He took her jacket off, taking in the sight of her see-through blouse with her black bra under it. "God, you look beautiful", he whispered and let his tongue trail hot open-mouthed kisses along her jaw and down her throat. He tucked her dark curls behind her ear and kissed her ear cup. "You can't imagine how long I've wanted to touch you, Lorelai Gilmore." She moaned loudly, partly because of his words, partly because his tongue felt heavenly on her skin. "You taste so good", he added as he turned her around to assault the nape of her neck.

Luke's hands now cupped her breasts while his body gently pushed her to the general direction of his bed. He took off her blouse and she closed her eyes and let him lead her through his apartment. The back of her head rested on his left shoulder. She opened her eyes to find herself in front of his single bed.

"I know it's small, but we can make it work.", he said apologetically.

"I'm not complainin', I actually like being around you, too. The closer, the better", she said, turning around to face him again. They took off their clothes, anxious to watch each other do so, feeling the sexual energy coursing through their bodies. When Luke took her nipple in his mouth for the first time, Lorelai gasped for air. When she saw his long, hard dick for the first time, she practically begged him to stop kissing her breasts. She stroked his member a few times while his fingers touched her clit, finding her hot, wet and ready.

Luke was now on his back, a Trojan Magnum on his cock, a smile on his face and his heart pounding like crazy when the most beautiful girl in his world straddled his hips, parted her knees wider to take him in fully. He looked at their joined bodies, wondering if there was any time he had felt anything remotely close to this. The sight of her small perky breats and her facial expression let him forget his train of thought and he focused only on his cock inside of her wet pussy.

Lorelai made a lustful moaning sound when she finally had his entire length inside of her. "You're so wet, Lorelai", Luke groaned.

"All your fault, mister", she smiled and began to ride him slowly.

He took her breasts in his hands, gently massaging them, rolling her nippled between his fingers. As she rode him harder and faster, she became louder. He didn't care. Didn't care of she woke up the entire neighbourhood. "Luke", she moaned, "God, you feel so good."

He gave up the sexy view to be closer to her and sat up. Her clit got more friction from his pubic bone and she now had his hair in her fists. He lowered his head to gently bite her nipples, which earned him a soft cry form her. "Luke, oh God, I'm so close, don't stop", she begged.

He had a hard time not coming right there and then. "Lorelai", he whispered in her ear, "shit, I'm gonna, I'm gonna...", were the last words before he emptied himself into her, feeling her walls tighten as her orgasm hit her. "Fuck, Luke, oooooh, yeah", she said and let he head fall back, her curls tickling her back as his mouth went for her neck and let his tongue dance over her skin. She rode out the waves of her orgasm and panted heavily when her lustful facial expression was replaced by a feline smile.

"Lord, Luke, I've never been so wet." He smiled.

He leaned back, she mirrored his movement and rested her head on his cheast. He carefully stroked her hair, as if it were made of glass. "Am I too heavy?", she asked. "Not yet", he answered. "You want to stay the night?" She was glad to be asked and replied "Sure, just let me call Rory." Lorelai sat up, let his cock slide out of her and looked for his phone. He got up to take a shower and she told Rory that she'd spend the night at Sookie's.

Lorelai felt happy. Not just sexually satisfied, though it was one hell of an orgasm. It all made sense to her now. The reason why she and Max never worked out, the reason why she hesitated to ask Chris to move in with her all those years ago. She thought about her plan.

The plan she and Rory talked about so many times in that old potting shed at the Independence Inn. The reversed roles. Lorelai being the provider, being able to buy a house for her daughter and herself, and eventually have Chris live there too.

It was set in stone. But by the time she had enough money for the down payment and the Crap Shack was for sale, Chris was in California. Rory talked less and less about the plan. She even painted a picture for Luke on father's day when she was 12. For Luke, not Chris. Lorelai had Luke in the house all the time. He fixed things for her, he listened to her. The plan was out the window. She just never admitted it to herself. But the man she had pictured herself with in the Crap Shack was now Luke. And it has been Luke for longer than she cared to admit. Lorelai heard the water runnning and decided to just go in there and tell him.

She knocked on the door. "Yeah?", Luke yelled.

"Can I come in?", she said opening the door carefully. "Sure."

He put the shower curtain aside and asked "Wanna join me?" She simply nodded and climbed into the tub to him.

"Luke, I need to talk to you." His heart skipped a beat, he had a feeling that all his new found happiness was about to slip through his fingers. She stepped under the spray and looked him in the eye. "I think I'm falling in love with you", she said almost sheepishly. He kissed her deeply, moaning into her mouth.

It had started innocently. As innocently as can be with two naked adults in the same shower after having mind-blowing sex ten minutes earlier. She let the bar soap glide over his wet body, grinding against him. But before he knew it, his cock was stiff again and her wetness hadn't subsided. Her back was against his chest and his hand was between her legs. When the tip of his cock was near her entrance, she leaned forward a bit and gave him a quick nod to signal it was Ok. He entered her and let out a groan. "God, Luke, fuck me, fuck me hard!", she demanded.

And so he did, his left hand on her breasts, his mouth at the nape of her neck and his right hand stroking her clit in the same rhythm as his cock slid in and out of her. With this angle he hardly missed her g-spot and she came before she knew what hit her. She told him to stop and kneeled. She took his cock into her mouth and could taste herself on him. "Jesus, Lorelai", Luke moaned. She tried to take him into her mouth completely, but then her right and her mouth worked as a tandem.

"Oh, fuck, this feels so good", he said. Those bright blue eyed looked up to him and he couldn't begin to describe how much closer that brought him to his orgasm. He held back the urge to fuck her mouth, simply enjoying the sucking and stroking she did so perfectly. Her left hand caressed his balls, lightly pulling them. She let her hand wander toward his perineum. "Oh God", he screamed and knew it would only take a few more strokes, desperately trying to prolong it.

"Please come for me, Luke", Lorelai said. His grip on her head grew more intense as he feld tumble over the edge. "Lorelai, oh Lorelai, oh God!", Luke said with gritted teeth as he spurted into her mouth. She swallowed greedily, stroking him a couple more times.

Twenty minutes later they were lying in his tiny bed, cuddled together, he on his back, she on her right side, eating another piece of pie from the plate that sat on his cheast. His left hand rubbed lazy circles on her back, his eyes closed.

"So, Luke, um, what I said earlier, about this night sucking big time?!", Lorelai asked, with her mouth half full.

"What about it?", he asked tiredly.

"I think I changed my mind. Apple pie and sex really saved the day. Or the night."

"Apple pie and sex, huh? In that order?"

"Well, it just so happened that I first ate pie and then we had sex, so, yes, in that order."

"Ok, so what about percentage?"

"Hm, let's see. The percentage of what saved the day... I'd say 60% pie, 40% sex", she said with a teasing voice.

Luke started tickling her and said, " Maybe now is the time to tell you that's been low-fat Cool Whip."

"Why am I not surprised, Lucas? But the joke's on you, I planned on seducing you once more tonight, but I guess I don't have enough energy now that I just had the low-fat stuff!"

"Damn! I guess I'll be the one doing the seducing", he said while he placed the plate on his nightstand, turned her on her back, and moved down between her legs and started licking her clit.

"That's totally worth eating the low-fat Cool Whip for", Lorelai said with a feline smile.

**So, what do you think? Shall I go on? Anyone out there reading the dirty stuff?**


	3. Chilton Moms

**AN: I borrowed some dialog from "Like mother, like daughter". I do not own anything, not even the couch I'm sitting on. **

**Chilton Moms**

_Unbelievable! This is unfreakingbelievable! I blame that damn headmaster. It's his fault after all. Lack of participation... Lack of participation my ass! I was engaged to one of their teachers, for crying out loud! That is the definition of participation. I participated so well that I almost graded my own daughter's paper. So, first they call my daughter a loner, which apparently is my fault. Then they make me join that hideous Booster club, and now I have to watch that woman make a pass at Luke. My Luke. As if he'd ever be interested in a Chilton mom! I mean, just look at her! She's almost as tall as he is. She could never wear heels on a date with him and not look funny. Urgh, a date with him. I wonder what gruff Luke is like on a date..._

"Lorelai!", Sookie yelled.

"What?", Lorelai said absentmindedly.

"Honey, I'm gonna go home now, if that's ok", she replied while noticing where Lorelai was staring.

"Sure, sure, go ahead. I won't be long either", Lorelai said, finally looking at her best friend.

"Lorelai, are you OK?", she said a little worried.

"Yeah, I'm good", Lorelai answered reassuringly.

"Then what are you looking at?"

"Uh, nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothin' to me", Sookie said smiling.

"It's just, urgh, Ava, this Chilton mom, apparently has the hots for Luke!"

"Well, can you blame her?", Sookie asked with a grin.

"Sookie!", Lorelai said, "Does Jackson know how you feel about Luke?"

"Come on, honey! Have you _looked_ at Luke? He's gorgeous!"

"Again, does Jackson know about this?"

"Relax, I'm not looking for me."

"So, who are you looking at him for?"

"No one in particular. Just this attractive single mother he has a thing for anyway", Sookie said while lightly pressing her elbow into Lorelai's side.

"You said you were leaving...?", Lorelai replied dismissively.

"Bye, sweetie! Good night", Sookie said with a wink, not being offended by her best friend's harsh words.

Lorelai couldn't stand it anymore. Being questioned about Luke by Ava, then seeing them together, flirting. She made a beeline for her office where she hid for twenty minutes. After that she went to the room where the "models" had their wardrobe. She changed quickly, and went to her car. The town was so quiet after 9. Now, it was almost midnight, and nobody was out. All the dogs had been walked and even the cool teenagers were lying in their beds. Around the townsquare no soul was to be seen. Nobody... except Luke, and is that Ava? He gave her a piece of paper, or something. Lorelai couldn't believe her eyes. Is this day ever going to be over? She slowed down until she stopped altogther, and turned the headlight off.

Luke and Ava were standing across the street in front of Luke's diner, talking. A few minutes later she got into her car and drove away. A confused Lorelai sat in her car, shaking her head. As soon as Ava's car was out of sight, she got out of her jeep and crossed the street. She opened the diner door which had been closed moments before. Lorelai forced herself to be calm and tried desperately to sound very casual.

"Hey, you're up late", she said coolly.

"Hey, good party."

"Yeah, not bad."

"Yeah, I like the new look. It was very high-class substitute teacher."

"Exactly what I was going for."

"Coffee?", he asked reaching behind to get the pot.

"Nah, I'm good."

"Okay. First time for everything, I guess", he said, shrugging.

"Hey Luke, uh, I feel a little weird even mentioning this to you."

"What?"

"I just saw you talking to Ava, you know, she's in my booster club?"

"Yeah, I know who she is."

"Oh, good. Well, good. So anyhow, I saw you guys talking alone and it seemed kind of private, and she mentioned earlier that you didn't make her, you know, gag, so I just figured you guys were making some sort of plans to hang out. And see, the thing is, I just think it would be a little weird if you started dating a Chilton mom. Look, I know I have no right to say anything to you, but it's just, um, if you did date her, well, I'm in the Booster Club with her, which means that I'll hear things, and I don't know, it's just, I'd like to keep that Chilton life separate from my Stars Hollow life, so if there's any way that you could not date her, that would be really great."

"Boy, I tell you, you've got nerve", Luke said angrily.

"Okay. Well, I know this is your private business."

"It is my private business."

"You don't see any validity to my side at all?"

"I am a grown man. You cannot tell me who to date."

"I'm not telling you who to date, I'm telling you who not to date."

"You can't tell me that either."

"Look…"

"I will date who I like, and if that screws with your plans, then sorry. And if you don't wanna hear things, then don't listen", he said.

"But…", Lorelai replied before he cut her off again.

"If you don't like it, you can just deal with it."

"Okay, I'll just deal with it."

"Good."

"I just thought that if something was going to affect our friendship in some way that you might care about that, because if the situation was reversed, then I would care, but hey, that's me, and so… Go ahead, date her, marry her, make her Mrs. Backwards Baseball Cap, live happily ever after, see if I care", Lorelai said on her way to the door.

"And by the way, I wasn't asking her out. I was giving her directions for the quickest way back to Hartford. It was very romantic. I said you take a right at Deerfield, and you catch the I-5 and you take it south. Oh man, hot stuff. She came her afterwards so that I could give her a map."

"That is so typical of you", she said huffishly.

"What?"

"That is not the quickest way back to Hartford. Everybody knows that you take Maine to Cherry to Lynwood and then grab the I-11. Everybody knows that Luke. Everybody, apparently, but you!", Lorelai said, leaving the diner.

Luke couldn't hide his smile. Lorelai had just yelled at him. Yelled! For flirting, well, supposedly flirting, with a woman he has no interest in. He went upstairs after he had watched her driving off, his smile has spread from his left ear to his right.

Lorelai calmed down on her way home. Rory was on the couch, they exchanged a few words about the fashion show, and Lorelai warned her about the kidnapping that was going to take place later that night. While she was in the shower, Lorelai heard Rory and her kidnappers leave. Sookie's words from earlier got stuck in her head. She hated to admit it, but she felt so relieved to learn about the true content of Luke and Ava's conversation. Lorelai was done showering, but kept standing under the spray, letting the warm water run over her face.

When she was dressed in her pajamas, Lorelai went to bed. Her mind was with Luke. If he wasn't asking Ava out, why did he freak out? He was so passionate about the entire thing. She wondered if he has dated anyone since Rachel, and then drifted off to sleep.

Lorelai stood in Luke's diner in her pajamas in broad daylight. She watched him refilling numerous coffee mugs, smiling and chatting with customers. She approached him hesitantly.

"Hey Luke, uh, I feel a little weird even mentioning this to you." CLACK

"What?"

"I just saw you talking to Ava, you know, she's in my booster club?"

"Yeah, I know who she is." CLACK

"Oh, good. Well, good. So anyhow, I saw you guys talking alone and it seemed kind of private, and she mentioned earlier that you didn't make her, you know, gag, so I just figured you guys were making some sort of plans to hang out. And see, the thing is, I just think it would be a little weird if you started dating a Chilton mom. Look, I know I have no right to say anything to you, but it's just, um, if you did date her, well, I'm in the Booster Club with her, which means that I'll hear things, and I don't know, it's just, I'd like to keep that Chilton life separate from my Stars Hollow life, so if there's any way that you could not date her, that would be really great." CLACK

"Don't worry 'bout it, she was just asking for directions. Besides, I'm not interested. Not in her, that is. I think about you, about us, all the time. I can't get you out of my head."

"Oh, Luke!", she replied with a big smile. CLACK

He was closing the distance between them in two long strides. He hugged her tightly, then gave her hot open mouth kisses that made her weak in the knees. He started taking her pajamas off in front of all the customers. His tongue now was on her breasts, sucking her nipples. Lorelai could feel the wetness between her legs, and started stroking his erection through his jeans. "Fuck me, Luke!", she demanded. He freed himself of his clothes, sat her down on one of the tables and thrust into her heat. She loved that powerful first thrust that filled her completely. CLACK

"Faster, Luke, faster!" CLACK

"God, Lorelai, you're so tight!" CLACK

"I can't come." CLACK

"Give me a minute." CLACK

"I can't!" CLACK

"Lorelai, be patient." CLACK CLACK CLACK

Lorelai startled. She took a look around and checked her alarm clock. It was 1 am. She was in her bedroom. But that clacking sound didn't stop. She rubbed her face, tried to get herself to wake up. She got up and walked to her window. _Oh my God, that's Luke._ Luke was standing there, throwing pebbles at her window. She opened the window and poked her head out.

"Luke, what are you doing here?"

"Sorry, if I woke you. Can we talk?"

"Sure, come on up."

"What do you mean, you have to let me in."

"No, I don't. The door's open and I don't want to go down and get cold feet."

"Are you crazy? You can't leave the door unlocked!"

"Is that why you came here? To give me a lecture? Because I have to say, as much as I enjoy the lectures about coffee and unhealthy food, they're way better timed than this one."

"Sorry, I'll let myself in."

She closed the window and sat on her bed in indian style. A few moments later he came into her bedroom, his boots in his right hand.

"Why did you take off your shoes?", Lorelai asked with a frown.

"I didn't want to wake up Rory."

"Oh, she's not here, she was kidnapped earlier."

"Very funny. See, I worry about you, about the two of you actually. Leaving the door unlocked at night is dangerous, even in Stars Hollow."

"Actually, I'm not kidding, she was kidnapped about an hou... "

"What?", he cut her off.

"Relax, it's just some girls from her school, welcoming her into their club. They're having breakfast together in their pajamas."

"What? That's crazy! A couple young girls late at night in their pajamas? What if some pervert..."

"Luke, it's Ok. So what did you want to talk about? I'm not getting any younger and this", she said motioning down her face and body, "actually doesn't happen by accident. I do need my beauty sleep, you know."

"Sorry, I just came by to... ask you something."

"What is it?"

"It's, um, I wanted to know why you were jealous", he asked while sitting down on her bed.

He put his boots down and faced her. He could barely recognize her face. Luke desperately needed to see her eyes in thismoment. Her eyes always gave her away. Her words could sound sincere, but her acting abilities stopped there. Those bright blue eyes always showed how she really felt. Luke had become the master of reading her eyes. He could tell if she was happy, sad, excited, or angry just by looking at her eyes. As if reading his mind, she reached to her left to switch on the bedside lamp.

"Jealous? Why would I be jealous?", she asked innocently.

"So, you weren't jealous?"

"I wouldn't say jealous... per se", she replied as her eyes were getting used to the light in the room.

"So, what _would_ you say? Because after you had left the diner, I went upstairs and couldn't stop grinning. Let me tell ya, that's not fun when you're under the shower. I swallowed more water than a fish in its entire life."

"Why were you smiling", Lorelai asked curiously.

"Because."

"Because why?"

"Hmmm, let me see. Because you were telling me not to date that Chilton mom, because you were yelling at me, because I saw how you looked at me and Ava talking back at the inn. Because I allowed myself to hope that this jealousy, or whatever you like to call it, is not just because you're possessive of me or anything", Luke said while he took her hand. "I hope you're jealous because you're beginning to see me the way I've been seeing you for years."

Lorelai heart raced and she started smiling. "Believe me, I'm not _just_ beginning to see you that way."

His face lit up. "Really? Why didn't you say something?"

"Like what? Luke, you're way more than a friend to me, I can't wait to see you naked and have your children?"

"That would have been a start", he answered and leaned in closer. "Can I kiss you now?"

"Thought you'd never ask."

Their lips met and they tested the waters in the first moments. Lorelai then parted her lips and welcomed his soft tongue that tickled hers. She opened her mouth some more to deepen the kiss while her hands went to his neck. Her tongue then left his mouth to nibble at his ear. Luke could feel his growing erection as he felt her breath on his ear. He let his hands glide from her shoulders down her arms and up to her shoulders again.

"You're giving me goosebumps, mister", Lorelai said while pushing his green army jacket off his shoulders. For the first time she looked down and saw him wearing a dark tee and some gray sweatpants.

"You came in your pajamas?"

"Yeah, I couldn't sleep. I couldn't get you out of my head."

They moved from their sitting positions to lie down on their sides, facing each other, hugging each other. Luke touched her dark curly hair, and whispered "Your hair is so soft, I have always wanted to touch your hair."

Her lips seeked his again and she lifted the hem of his shirt to touch his stomach. His right hand went to her waist, his left one to her face where he lightly touched her cheeks. He pulled her even closer, rubbing his hard cock against her belly to show her how turned on he was from just kissing her. Lorelai tried to resist touching his penis and focused on his upper body. Feeling the fine hair on his cheast, touching his strong back, stroking from his broad shoulders to his slim waist, finally cupping his ass and pushing his erection to her stomach. He moaned "Lorelai, I want you. So much. Please stop now, or I won't be able to stand it."

Between hot, passionate kisses she replied "Not stopping now, you already made me wet before you came here."

Luke stopped and backed away a little bit. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I had dreamt about you, about us, having sex in the diner."

"What, just now?"

"Yeah, before you came up. And believe me, it was so weird. There were customers everywhere, you just fucked me on a table in broad daylight."

"That's naughty. I love it", he said, leaning in again, kissing her hard and hot, getting harder. "It kinda explains why I had to throw nearly twenty damn pebbles before you deigned to open the window. Playin' hard to get."

"Nah, I was just sleeping. I'm easy."

"Good to know", Luke said, pushing her pajama top up to find her bare breasts with the most beautiful pink nipples. He touched her, massaged her breats, let his tongue wander down her neck, feeling her moans under his tongue. His kissed finally reached her soft mounds. He took her right nipple into his mouth, sucking it. Lorelai moved her head back to give him better access, her fists in his hair. When he gave her left nipple the same treatment, she took her top off. "Oh, Luke", she groaned when he rolled her other nipple between his fingers. The stimulation of both nipples at the same time sent a wave of pleasure to her core, making her even wetter.

Luke let his hands roam her body, firmly cupped her ass, as his kisses were slowly going where she needed his tongue the most. She freed him of his t-shirt and her fingers followed the trail of hair down his stomach into the waistbands of his sweatpants and boxers. He held his breath when she found his hard cock and let her thumb move over his tip. "God, you're hard", she moaned, "can't wait to feel you inside of me!"

"Lorelai", he whispered. He mirrored her motion and let one hand slip into her pajama bottoms, finding her bare, hot and wet.

"Even naughtier", Luke said with a grin.

He sat up and took her pants off, while taking in the sight of a naked Lorelai Gilmore on her bed with the girly sheets. He kissed her mouth before she spread her knees apart. He slid down the bed, looking at her pink folds that glistened from her juices. Luke let his finger slide from her entrance to her clit and he could smell her arousal. He quickly let his tongue follow the motion of his finger, then circled her sensitive nub. Lorelai moaned loudly, and grabbed the sheets in her fists.

Luke thrusted two fingers into her, making her groan louder. His tongue suckled her clit, and his fingers moved faster.

Lorelai knew she was close, she panted for air and cried his name "Luke, I'm coming, don't stop, I'm coming!"

After those words she came hard, and when Luke looked up to enjoy her facial expression, he saw her hands on her breats, pinching her nipples. She relaxed, and looked in the eyes. "God, Luke, you're very talented."

He licked his lips, came back up and kissed her. "You taste delicious", he said.

"Please, take off your clothes, I want to feel your cock now."

Luke took off his pants and boxers, positioned himself over her entrance and pushed his tip into her wet heat. "And you feel even better than you taste", he whispered, looking deeply in her eyes. He let his entire length glide into Lorelai's tightness and started to thrust into her. "Is that OK?", he asked.

"Perfect", she replied with a feline smile.

He picked up the pace a little. enjoying the sensation her tight walls sent through his body. He took her feet and placed them on his shoulders, changing the angle. "Ahhh, that's so good!", she cried. He kissed her shins and roughly massaged her breasts.

Lorelai's hands were on his cheast, feeling the hard muscles under his soft skin. Luke was now going hard and fast and Lorelai could feel another orgasm approaching. "Please tell me you're close, too. I want to come with you!", she said under a blanket of moans and groans. "I'm with you, Lorelai, oh God, I'm close!", Luke said with gritted teeth. He repositioned his knees, being even deeper inside of her he could feel himself exploding as her walls tightened around his erection. "Fuck, Lorelai", he groaned. His hot spurts pushed her over the edge and she moaned loudly.

After a few moments, he pulled his cock out, making her whimper. He immediately kissed her and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Man, that was good!", Lorelai said with a big smile. "Yeah, it sure was." Luke laid on his back, pulling her close to his left side. Her left hand drew lazy circles on his chest.

"So, about his whole dating a Chilton mom thing. Do you think you could make an exception?"

"The only exception I ever would have made", he said and kissed her temple.

"Glad to hear. Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"You're very sexy. I mean, why all the flannel, when you have a body like that?"

"Please, if I'd lost a few layers, Patty would never leave."

"True, plus there's be many more ladies around the diner who's be checking you out."

"Afraid of the competition?", he asked smirking.

"Why would one worry about the competition after already winning?"

Their post coital banter was interrupted by the ringing of Lorelai's phone.

"Who would call you at almost two in the morning?", Luke asked.

"Now, who's afraid of the competition?", Lorelai replied. "Hello? Headmaster Charleston? ... Emergency, what emergency? ...

Ok, I'm on my way!"

Lorelai got up, and dressed in no time, leaving Luke wondering. "What's wrong? Is Rory OK?"

"I don't know, I have to drive to Hartford, they wouldn't tell me what's going on."

He got up as well, asking her if he should drive her, but she said she'd be fine. He got dressed and after a few minutes they found themselves in her yard sharing a kiss in the dark.

"You call me as soon as you know what's going on, OK?"

"Sure thing. And we'll talk tomorrow, about... well, everything, ok?"

"Yeah, drive savely", he pulled her in for a final hug. She got into her jeep and drove off, Luke watched her and went home. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Babette vanishing behind a curtain. He said to himself, "Great, I hope I have ordered enough supplies for the crowd of paparazzi that will populate the diner in the morning..."

**Did you like it? I thought it's best to seize every chance we get when Rory or Jess aren't at home over night. Have a nice weekend!**


	4. Saving the Planet

**Hey guys! How are you doing? I hope you're good. When I recently rewatched the Bracebridge Dinner, I couldn't get Emily's remark about Lorelai's dress needing pressing out of my head. Wanna know why it needs pressing? Then go ahead and read this week's smutty story. I have many more ideas for smut, as well as a longer story. JavaJunkie of course! So, let me know what you think, or you can PM any wishes you have for future stories. Sometimes a little direction can't hurt, right? Ok, have fun. Oh, I don't own the characters. I borrowed some dialog from the Bracebridge Dinner episode.**

**Saving the Planet**

As much as Lorelai loved winter and Christmas, this year was a bit different. For the first time she had to wrap her head around the idea of not spending Christmas with her daughter. The mere thought of it killed her. Rory was old enough to be fully trusted, but Lorelai couldn't stand thinking about her being with Christopher and his girlfriend for the holidays. In a way she was even grateful for being a single mom and not having to share Rory with Chris. She hated herself when she thought of it that way, but with him out of the picture for so many years, she had Rory all to herself. Their bond might not have been as strong if he had helped raising her.

If that had been the case, Lorelai would have gotten used to free weekends, and split holidays. But Rory was now 17, and they had their holiday routine. What would Lorelai do all alone on Christmas? Scenes from the movie Home Alone came to her mind. She shook her head. It was too soon to ask Rory if she would like to go to Boston. Too soon. She pushed the thought far away, and focused on the Bracebridge Dinner. Positive thoughts!

Lorelai Gilmore is very positive person. Or so she says. So when the Bracebridge Dinner was about to be cancelled, Sookie's idea to invite Luke and Jess made Lorelai embrace the idea. Their friends and neighbours were invited, and she was actually looking forward to the night. No one could spoil this for her. Not Sookie's fragile mental state, not the sight of Rune's bare legs in the kitchen of the Independence Inn, and certainly not her parents who decided to join the dinner party unexpectedly.

She was glad that Luke had accepted her invitation. She knew how much he hated things like that, town events, socializing, but she also knew that a bachelor could leave town if he wanted. Open a diner elsewhere. Lorelai could feel how much he sometimes needed evenings like that. She felt obligated to make him participate from time to time. She considered it was her way to make up for the fact that he did so many things for her, helped her whenever she needed someone. Luke on the other hand felt flattered to be asked. He might hide this feeling behind his gruffness, but he knew her well enough to see how she usually doesn't ask a lot of people for help.

"You see the horses?", Bootsy asked.

"You mean the ones three feet from my face? Yeah, I saw 'em", Luke deadpanned.

"I spent a summer training horses in Montana."

"You get kicked in the head a lot?"

"Just the once", Bootsy replied, stepping away.

"Hey, you in the belt - get in", Lorelai demanded.

"What? Oh, no, I was just sort of checking things out", Luke said.

"Come on. We can pull a Ben Hur and take down Taylor's sleigh."

"I don't know, I..."

"Aww, come on Luke. I can't be all school marm-y and ride by myself. Please?"

"Well, okay", Luke said while getting in the sleigh.

"Giddy up. Uh! The horses heard me, I speak horse language! I'm Dr. Dolittle!"

"Plus, I think the driver of the sleigh heard you."

"Oh, yeah.!

"I gotta say, sleigh ride's a little much, but these horses are really beautiful."

"Yes, especially from this angle."

"Not just from this angle."

"Oh seriously, don't backtrack. Horse has got a nice butt there."

"It's not what I'm saying."

"Nice firm hiney."

"Stop talking about the horse's hiney."

Lorelai was taking in scenery. "God, the town looks beautiful."

"Same as always."

"No, it's always different his time of year. It's magical."

"If you say so, sure. Oh look, there's the magical plumbing supply store where I bought a magical float for my toilet last week."

"You disappoint me."

"Oh look. There's the magical Luke's Diner right underneath the apartment that Jess magically lit by leaving every stinkin' light on. Driver, could you please stop the sleigh?"

"What? No! We just started. Dinner's not for another hour and a half!", Lorelai said.

"Come on, I'll just run upstairs really quick, and be back in no time."

"Luke, but the snow, and the sleigh...", she said with a pout.

"Lorelai, did you know that the degree of efficiency of a light bulb is only 3 percent?"

"Meaning...?"

"Meaning that only 3 percent of the energy is used to generate light, the rest is just heat!"

"So, doesn't that mean you save money for not heating the apartment as much?"

"No, it means that we're killing the planet if I'm not going upstairs now."

"Ok", she said, watching him jump off the slowed-down sleigh. She then added, "You got any pie left?"

Luke shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?"

Lorelai jumped down also, and told the driver to return to the inn. "Maybe I can take another ride after dinner", she mumbled. They entered the diner, Luke went upstairs, telling her to help herself to the left-over pie. She went right for the cherry pie, didn't bother to take a plate and put it on a napkin instead, then followed Luke up. She took off her hat as soon as she entered the very warm apartment.

"Wow, so that's what 3 percent efficiency feels like?"

"Yeah, Jess was going for the tropical Christmas theme. I'm glad I could talk him down from ordering two tons of sand for the town square. Why did you even come up here? It won't take long to turn off the lights.

"I don't like to wait. Or to be alone. So, how's it going with you guys?"

"Me and Jess? Great."

"Great? Really?"

"Really."

"Well, good."

"It is good. I mean, it was hard at first, seemed impossible, you know, but I've learned a lot these past couple months."

"Like?"

"Like last week I discovered the secret of parenting", LUke said almost proud, opening his coat.

"You did?", Lorelai asked while taking a seat on the couch, eating her pie.

"Yup", he answered, giving her a plate and fork for the pie.

"The secret of parenting?"

"The secret of parenting."

"When last week? Last Tuesday?"

"I don't know the exact day."

"Tuesday at 5:15, is that when you discovered the secret of parenting?"

"Don't mock."

"Well, tell me. What is... oh wait, it's a secret, you can't tell me."

"No, I'll tell you. You visualize the reality you want", Luke said while sitting down on the couch next to her.

"You visualize the reality you want."

"And then if necessary, you lie to bring it about."

"That is so much worse than I was expecting."

"You never lied to your kid?"

"Ahh, to save her from great physical pain, yes. When she was little and she would play in the kitchen, I told her that the burners were the devil's hands, but I would say it in a really scary evangelist voice, you know, 'Don't touch the devil's hands!' She still doesn't go near the stove."

"Yes, exactly. You told a little white lie for your kid's protection, very similar to what I've done."

"Which was?"

"Well, you know the winter break is coming up?"

"Yes I do."

"Okay, well that means Jess has some time off from school. His mom knew that and she never called."

"Ugh, it makes me sick", she said as she finished her pie and took off her coat.

"So I decided just to keep Jess with me, and I told him that his mom wanted him to come home but I thought since he just got there and was still adjusting that I thought he should stay, and his mom was really upset but I insisted. He bought it hook, line and sinker. Saved him a lot of hurt."

"He didn't buy it."

"What? Of course he did."

"He knows."

"How do you figure?"

"Because. He's 17 and not an idiot. I actually miss the days when Chris didn't call around Christmas time."

"What? Why?" Luke asked confusedly.

Lorelai sighed, slightly shook her head, and placed her plate on the coffee table. "I know I'm the most awful person and mother in the world", she said and leaned her head back. She turned left to look Luke in the eyes. "Christopher called and asked if Rory could visit in her winter break."

"So?"

"What do you mean 'so'?"

"I mean, that's good, right?"

"No it's not!"

"It's not?"

"No! I don't want her to go."

"And why is that?"

"Chris sent us a Christmas card. He has a girlfriend, a very pretty girlfriend, and a puppy."

"But you love puppies! Wait, he has _two_ girlfriends?"

"Be serious, Luke. It's just... Urgh! I feel weird even saying this out loud, but he won, ok!"

"He won?", Luke asked with a frown.

"Yeah, he's got it all. He got his life together."

"You've got Rory. You have it all. So, is this you being jealous of his pretty girlfriend?"

"What? No! It's not that, I swear. I don't want him back or anything. But how can he expect me to be OK with Rory being there, overnight, with a woman I have never met? She could be crazy!"

"Crazier than you? No such thing!", he smiled.

"Hey! Be nice!", Lorelai said while pressing her elboy into his side. "It's just, Luke, you might consider me crazier than you already do when I tell you this, but Rory never met anyone I've dated. When I dated Max, of course she knew him, he was her teacher, but if he hadn't been, I'm not sure if I would have introduced him to her."

"Wow! Really?"

"Yeah, looking back, we were doomed to fail. I never got to a comfortable place with him. The night he stayed over for the first time, I gotta tell ya!"

"Please, don't!"

"Oh, it's not what you think. I couldn't sleep with _him_ in my bed. I couldn't _sleep_ with him period. As soon as he'd fallen asleep, I went down to Rory's room and slept in her bed."

"Please, tell me you're kidding."

"I wish I were."

"You're telling me you accepted his proposal without having spent one night together?"

"Yup! Doomed to fail."

"Then why'd you do it?"

"Accept the proposal?"

"Yeah, I mean, you could've tried to move in together first."

"Look at you, Lucas William Danes. First the secret of parenting, now the secret of relationships."

"Sorry, I didn't want to offend you or anything. I just think that any relationship needs a foundation first. You know, get to know one another, loving the little things. Passion alone won't last forever."

"When did you get so smart, mister?"

"It comes with age, you know", he said with a smirk. "That, and the fact that I've seen a lot of couples fighting in the diner right in front of me. So it didn't work out with Max because you weren't comfortable around him?"

"I guess. I think I was too... I don't know, maybe too much my flirty self. That and the fact that he wanted me to let him parent Rory."

"But she's almost grown up."

"That's what I said!"

"Plus, she's Rory, she's probably parenting you more that the other way round."

"Aren't you a charmer!"

"You know what I mean, Lorelai."

"Of course, I'm just teasing. Max almost gave me the feeling that I'm not a good mom at times."

"What do you mean? You're a great mom."

"He thought I'd be too easy on the rules maybe."

"Again, it's Rory we're talking about."

"Thank you!"

They sat in silence for a moment. Luke looked at her profile. "I think we should go back. Thanks for the talk, Luke. And the pie. I really appreciate it."

Neither got up from the couch. "You look very pretty tonight", Luke said with a sincere smile.

"Thanks. The dress is new."

"Suits you."

"Thanks."

Luke swallowed. "Lorelai, you're not a bad mother. Not for giving Rory her space, and certainly not for being a little scared about Chris asking her to come visit him."

"I know, but right after I thought about not being able to do our traditional Christmas stuff, I thought I don't wanna be alone. I mean, what would I do all alone at home for Christmas?"

"You could come here, if you like", Luke offered.

"Come here? To you and Jess?"

"Yeah, if you like."

"Why are you always this nice to me?"

"Because... we're friends. Because I like you. Because you're the only person I can talk to like that. Be myself", Luke said and hesitated. Then swallowed once more, "Because you're possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever met. Inside and out."

Lorelai leaned towards him, closed her eyes, and waited for the longest second until she could feel Luke's soft lips on hers. She put her hands on his shoulders and came closer to him. Luke moaned a little when her tongue entered his mouth. He couldn't resist to touch her thick curls as his mouth moved over her jaw, he inhaled deeply. "Luke", Lorelai whispered. Her heart raced as she touched his back, feeling his hot tongue on that spot below her ear that seemed linked to her clitoris.

"You wanna stop?", Luke asked after leaning back a little.

"Do you wanna stop?", she replied a little irritated.

"Hell no!", Luke said with a grin and took her face into his hands and gave her a soft kiss. "I wanna kiss you and do very dirty things to you, if you let me."

"Such a good answer", Lorelai said while pinning him under her, kissing him passionately.

Luke and Lorelai made out like teenagers for about ten minutes. Lorelai couldn't get enough of his kisses. His hands were everywhere - everywhere they could reach, which meant her head, back and sides. As they both wanted more, they stripped their clothes off of each other, tossing them away without care. Lorelai kissed Luke's chest, licking his nipples until they were hard. "Jesus, Luke, how am I ever gonna look at you again without picturing you naked?"

"Don't know, don't care", he said as he pulled her up so he could kiss her neck, chest and finally her breasts. Lorelai straddled his hips, feeling his rock hard erection between her legs.

"I'm almost embarassed about how wet I am."

"Don't you ever shut up? I could have sworn you'd be more quiet in bed", Luke smiled.

"But we're not technically in bed. Also, you thought about how talkative I'd be in bed?"

"I thought about _every_ aspect of how you'd be in bed."

"How am I doing so far?"

"Aside from the talkin'?"

"Yeah."

"Can't you feel how hard I am?", he asked with a sheepish grin as he wiggled beneath her.

"Just checkin'...", she said nonchanantly.

"Lorelai, please, be quiet", Luke requested. Then he added softer, almost whispering, "And fuck me."

"Can't make any promises about the quiet part, but I try to talk less, OK?"

"Good."

Luke moved up so that his head was on the armrest of his couch, and took her with him. He cupped her ass and pushed her down a little. Lorelai grabbed his cock, stroked it a few times, and positioned it at her entrance. She spread her knees a bit further apart as soon as she felt his tip entering her. As his member slid into her wet heat, she let out a deep guttural moan. She moved up and down slowly at first. She could still feel his hands on her ass, massaging it, rubbing it. She felt the waves of pleasure coursing through her body. "Lorelai, you feel so good."

"Oh Luke", she breathed as she picked up the pace. He let go of her ass and cupped her breasts in his big hands, his nimble fingers rolling her nipples until they were hard. She leaned forward and her clit got much needed friction on his pubic bone. She rode him harder.

"Suck my nipples", Lorelai said moaning. "God, yes", Luke replied and did as she pleased. He could feel his orgasm nearing as he had her beaded nubs in his mouth. "Jesus Lorelai, I'm close". "With you, with you", was all she could manage to say between her pants. Luke could feel her walls tighten around his shaft, and he groaned loudly, calling her name as he emptied himself into her, which made her come hard.

They lay together for a few more minutes, then decided to head back to the inn. They looked through the pile of clothes on the floor, got dressed and walked hand in hand in the direction of the Independence Inn. Right on time for dinner, they entered the inn.

"Mom! Luke! Where have you been? I was worried!", Rory cried as she quickly walked to them in the lobby.

"Oh, Jess forgot to switch off the lights in their apartment, and Mr. Let's-Save-the-Planet here made me come with him, because he's afraid of the dark", Lorelai said with a big grin.

"But when the lights were on, there'd be no darkness."

"Sure, when the lights are out, he'd have to walk back down in the dark."

"Right", Rory said quizzically. "Dinner's almost ready, so let's start, I'm starving."

* * *

Lorelai was making the round, she talked to Patty, then her dad said, "Lorelai, this is just beautiful. It's like something out of Architectural Digest. You should be very proud."

"Thanks, Dad", she said smiling.

"Your dress needs pressing", Emily remarked.

Lorelai's thoughts went to the reason why she took her dress off in the first place. She smiled and said, "Thanks, Mom", giving Luke a knowing wink.

_**Hope you liked it, reviews are appreciated.** _


	5. The Price to be Paid

**Hi, everyone! How are you? I'm good. Thank you guys so much for the great reviews! I think I blushed a little...**

**So, I was thinking. When has Taylor ever done anything nice? That's what I figured. So what would motivate him to make the war reenactors go to Louie's funeral without getting something in return? Exactly! It just so happens that his little schemes get our favourite couple naked. Enjoy! Happy Easter!**

* * *

It was weird. _Another_ day without her showing up at the diner. Luke walked to his bathroom, a quick unplanned look at his alarm clock told him it was about time to get to bed. Earlier he had sat on his couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table, having a second beer which was highly unusual for a weekday. The eleven o'clock news had been running, his pair of blue eyes set on the TV, his thoughts elsewhere. Even before being completely absent, her appearances at the diner had become scarce.

Luke stripped his clothes off and left them on the floor, too lazy to put them in the hamper. Most people turn on the water and wait before they get into the shower. Not Luke. He actually enjoys how the cold spray revivifies his tired body, before he allows the warm water to give him that feeling of comfort. He closed his eyes and let the warm water reheat his cool body. He replayed the last conversations with her over and over in his head.

Basically, she had told him every time how busy she was. Sure, he knew her business class finals were right around the corner, but she needed her daily coffee fix. He knew it just didn't make sense. He washed his hair and body, before he rinsed, got out of the tub and dried himself. Now that Luke thought about it, the increase of her study sessions would imply an elevated need for caffeine. The two days following Louie's funeral, she had been in for breakfast and dinner, later it was only for breakfast. One week after the funeral, Rory had come in alone and ordered their usual breakfast to go. Luke figured they had made a bet, Rory had lost and had to make sure Lorelai got her pancakes in bed or something. After that, it was just Rory before school, with the occasional dinner to go, which was also picked up by Rory.

Now in his bed, Luke's mind was still restless. He counted back the days and with knitted brows the number eleven appeared before his eyes. _It can't be that long, can it?_ Luke's hand automatically came to his head while his eyes closed. Ok, what could be the reason for her avoidance? Oh God, suddently it hit Luke, she's in financial trouble! A moan left his throat as he moved to lie on his side, his hand tucked under his head. She did have problems getting a loan this winter, maybe she was in deeper than he thought. But that would mean he'd run into her at Doose's more often. When you can't afford to eat out, you have to eat in and that means grocery shopping. Oddly, he hadn't seen her there either. If they had been in a romantic relationship, Luke was sure, her behaviour would mean she wanted to break up with him. But they weren't in a romantic relationship, probably never will be.

It could be one other thing, he thought to himself. She had helped him out at the diner so that he could make the necessary funeral arrangements for his uncle. Luke had thanked her countless times, he knew he'd never be able to make up for her generosity. She had neglected her job to help him out. Not only that, but she also had made sure the war reenactors had shown up at the funeral. Luke's mind wandered. Why would she do that? She didn't _have_ to do it. It was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for him. He knew she was his best friend. Lorelai had been there for him. For the quickest moment he allowed himself to hope that she did it for one other reason, but Luke burried the thought immediately. Had he exploited her friendship? Had he taken more from her than what was appropriate? Was that the reason why she was avoiding him? Sadness and confusion minted in his face, Luke finally fell asleep.

* * *

During the mid-morning lull the next day, he still hadn't seen her. Luke made the plan to give her two more days, meaning two full weeks in total without having seen or spoken to her, before he simply _had_ to talk to her. On the outside he may be grumpy and his words may be gruff, but everytime Lorelai Gilmore opens her mouth his world is in balance. With almost two weeks without the usual banter, he craved her words like a pregnant woman craves pickles with donuts. Luke felt like the new silence in his life was slowly, but steadily suffocating him.

He also felt like a teenager. He told Ceaser several times to cover for him. He went upstairs to see if she had left any messages on his machine, even during lunch rush. He considered changing the text on his machine, but he pushed the idea aside and felt very stupid. In the privacy of his own apartment he then did something he rarely does. Luke tried to think of the last time he had done it. It must have been when he had come back from her engagement party in the town square. He also remembered how he couldn't sleep that night. It had almost been a year. He checked if Jess was home, and when he didn't see him, he locked the door, went to his desk, opened the second drawer from the bottom on the right side, pulled it out before it almost fell down, fumbled with his hands between old school reports until he found it. He took the photograph, sighed and let his eyes take in the sight she was.

They sat side by side on a bench in the town square, looking each other in the eyes, smiling. Luke felt very silly to be looking at the picture at three in the afternoon, to be looking at it at all. But he needed it. He needed to see her. Luke missed her. He wasn't so sure anymore if he could take it till his own deadline. He took one last look at her beautiful smile, sighed and mumbled "What have you done with me, Lorelai Gilmore?", before he hid the picture in the drawer. Suddenly he heard someone at the door, he hurried back and unlocked it just as Jess took out his key.

"Why did you lock the door?", the teenager asked. Luke blushed and cleared his head.

"Um, I didn't realize I did. I gotta go back down", Luke said and quickly passed Jess, who had a confused look on his face.

At the bottom of the stairs, Luke pushed the curtain aside, and saw Rory at the counter.

"Hey Luke", Rory said. She wore her Chilton uniform, so she must have come straight from school.

"Hi Rory, how's it going?", he asked.

"Good, a bit stressful, you know. I have loads to write for our school newspaper."

"So, I guess they like your stuff, huh?"

"Seems like it."

"What can I get ya, Rory?"

"Coffee to go, please."

Luke poured the brown liquid in a to go cup, closed the lid and handed it to her. He was desperate to ask about her mother, didn't _want_ to seem desperate though. He cleared his throat, and said "How's your mom? She ok? I haven't seen her in a while."

"Oh, yeah, she's fine. Very busy, but well. I'm sure we'll come by for dinner later, so you can ask her yourself", Rory said as she grabbed her coffee, paid, and waved goodbye.

"Great, see you both later then!", Luke grinned like an idiot. His heart rate went up, he felt butterflies in his stomach. At the same time, he felt incredibly stupid for being so excited. She was just his friend. But he really missed her. He checked his watch, 4:15. Wow, that meant it could be three or four hours before they'd show up. Luckily the diner was busy enough to distract him.

* * *

When they still hadn't shown up at nine o'clock, he sent Ceaser home and started cleaning. He made a fresh pot of coffee, even though there were only two customers at the diner. They left soon after and he was done in the kitchen. Luke thought for a minute, then he filled two large to go cups with the coffee, locked his diner and drove straight to the Crap Shack. To his own surprise, her jeep wasn't there. He walked to her house. He knocked on the door. Lights were on, so someone had to be home. He knocked again, still nothing. "Lorelai? Are you home?", he asked.

"You just missed her, Luke!", Babette yelled, her head full of curlers.

"Oh, I was just bringing her some coffee. Do you know when she'll be back?"

"Sorry, sugar. I don't know. One hardly sees her anymore. Always busy. They left like ten minutes ago."

"Rory was with her? But it's a school night", Luke said while shaking his head.

"Maybe it was an emergency."

"Yeah, maybe", Luke said with sadness in his voice.

"Ok, I gotta go back in. See ya, Handsome!"

"Bye, Babette!"

Luke went back to his truck and got a pen from his glove compartment. He found a piece of paper in there, and wrote a note. He went back to the porch where he had left the coffee and placed the note between the two cups.

_Lorelai,_

_Can we talk? I haven't seen you in a while. Enjoy the coffee!_

_Luke_

* * *

The next day was a very expensive one for Luke. He dropped four plates, two cups and the coffee pot. Everytime the bell on his door jingled, he winced and dropped whatever he had in his hands at that time. But as often as the sound announced the arrival of a customer, it had never been Lorelai. Or Rory for that matter. He had rethought the note he had written to Lorelai a thousand times. He came to the conclusion that it hadn't been personal enough, maybe even a tad cold.

When it was time for dinner, he went upstairs, showered, changed into an Oxford shirt and dark jeans and made himself on the way to Miss Patty's. Desperate times called for desperate measures. And desperation didn't even begin to describe how he felt. Technically, he still had almost an entire day, but Luke thought that the town meeting was the perfect opportunity to talk to her. Annoying Taylor by doing so was only a side benefit. It was only 7:30, so he had half an hour to kill. He helped Patty to arrange the chairs, and sat down. Whenever someone came in and wanted to sit down next to him, he'd say that the seat was taken. Taylor arrived and talked to Miss Patty about his items of the agenda.

By now, most chairs at the dance studio were occupied. Luke checked his watch. 7:58. No Lorelai. A few moments later, Taylor banged the gavel and talked about silly stuff as usual. Luke turned around. Enter Lorelai, sans Rory. He tried to lock eyes with her. She spotted him, smiled politely, then scanned the room for a free chair. He motioned to the empty chair to his right, but her eyes didn't look in his direction anymore. He watched her take a seat in the same row across the isle next to Andrew. That was fine, he'd catch her after the meeting. He had some boysenberry pie for her at the diner. Maybe he'd be lucky and she'd stay a while.

"Lorelai, how nice of you to show up", Taylor said sarcastically, then added, "I haven't seen you in _ages_."

"Well, Taylor, what can I say? Absence _does_ make the heart grow fonder", she said annoyed.

Her statement hit Luke like a two ton anvil on the head. So much truth in it. Luke now barely followed the idiotic discussions that were held. He forced himself to look at the podium, but couldn't help his eyes wandering toward Lorelai. She whispered something in Andrew's ear, who nodded and whispered something back. Having no feeling for the time passed, Luke was pulled out of his thoughts when Taylor said, "Lorelai, could you please step outside with me for a sec, Patty will cover for me."

Luke's eyes followed them as they exited the building. His heart rate was up again. He wondered what Taylor could possibly talk to her about. Could Taylor punish her for being late to the town meeting? Luke pushed the thought aside and impatiently waited for them to reenter. Five long minutes later, Taylor came in alone. Luke waited for Lorelai to appear, but when Taylor closed the door and went back to the podium, it was clear that she had left. Luke stood up, went for the other door, rushed out, but could only see the back light of her jeep. He exhaled loudly, his hands on his cheeks, he shook his head and went back to his apartment.

* * *

"Good morning, Luke", Lorelai said with a big smile on her face, "What do I have to do to get a cup of coffee in this fine establishment?"

"Lorelai! Good to see you! Are you ok?", Luke asked curiously.

"A bit caffeine-deprived. How's that coffee coming?"

"It's coming in a second."

"Make it to go, please", Lorelai said.

But before Luke could pour her a cup and ask if she ever got his coffee and the note that came with it, he saw her walking outside with her cell phone on her ear. He sighed. Frankly, he just wanted to go out and ask her what the hell was going on. Unfortunately, the diner was so busy that he simply couldn't do it. Then, he saw her coming back in, still on the phone. He figured it was useless to point to the _No Cell Phones_ sign. So he gave her a large to go cup of coffee. With a wide smile on her face, she leaned toward him. Her phone between ear and her left shoulder, she touched his arm and whispered, "God, you're an angel, I gotta go!", and left him with a tingle caused by her touch.

Ok, this was it. It's been _two freaking weeks_. Luke has run out of patience. For the love of God, what is she so busy with? No one can be so busy! It's just so suspicious. Her absence, Taylor taking her outside to talk during a town meeting, her choice to sit next to Andrew and their whispering. It was Ceaser's turn to close the diner that night. After the dinner rush, Luke prepared burgers, fries and onion rings, decided to take brownies for dessert and climbed into his truck. He drove to Lorelai's house, for the second time in two days. Her jeep was there, whew! He parked behind it, took his take-out bags, and walked to the porch. Before Luke was on the first step, Andrew came out. He and Lorelai said their goodbyes.

"Hey Luke!", he said and walked away.

"Andrew", Luke answered.

"Luke! This is a surprise!", Lorelai said as her eyes went down and saw the bags of food.

"Hi, look, I haven't seen you in a while, an-"

"We actually saw this morning, but that's ok!", she said with a genuine smile.

"Good, here", he said as he gave her the bags.

"Did Rory order this? She's not even here, weird."

"No, this is me being nice. I thought you might be hungry, actually, I _knew_ you'd be hungry."

She took the bags and smiled. "Perfect timing, I'm starving."

Luke didn't leave. In fact, he wanted to stay. There was a turkey burger in one of the bags. She made no signs of inviting him in though. She stood in the entryway, the bags in her hands. Luke tried glimpse inside of the house, it seemed like she was hiding something. "I'd invite you in, but the house is a mess", Lorelai said apologetically.

Maybe it was the way she smiled, or the fact that he seriously needed to be with her, but Luke couldn't except it. "Lorelai, please, it's been too long. I feel awful, I need to talk to you", Luke said pleadingly. "Ok, don't say I didn't warn you!", she said as she moved to the side to let him enter.

Luke had the speech ready in his mind. He had practiced it countless times_. I want to apologize for making you feel obligated to help me out in the diner. I overstepped a boundary, and I understand that you needed some space. But let me tell you, I __miss you, and I'd be happy if you came back to the diner._ But just as he wanted to start, his eyes saw what she had meant with 'mess'. The house was a mess. There was red and tan fabric lying everywhere in the living room, no surface seemed to be free of it. Her sewing machine stood in the corner. Pants and half-finished jackets were on hangers on a rack.

"What the hell is all this?", Luke asked in astonishment.

"It's, um...", Lorelai hestitated, "... the, um, costumes. F-for the war reenactors", she said as her eyes went to the floor.

"What? W-Why? I mean, why?"

"Ok, Luke, before I start to explain, you have to promise that you let me finish, and that you won't get mad. At me, or at anyone else. OK?"

"O...K...", Luke said very hesitantly.

"Good. You remember three weeks ago, when the war reenactors initially refused to come to Louie's funeral?", she said as she walked behind her couch. He nodded. "Even the night before, they were determined not to show up. But I knew how much it meant to you, and how much it would have meant to your dad, and even though I have never met him, I know I would have loved him. For co-creating you alone." Luke blushed and looked away. "So my only chance was to go to Taylor. You know Taylor. He knew he had me by the balls. He could get me to do anything that night, well, not _any_thing, of course. I mean, it's Taylor, so ew! Not anything, obviouly." Luke smiled as she rambled. That was Lorelai! His Lorelai. In this very moment he knew she had _him_ by _his_ balls. He'd do anything for this woman.

"So, anywho, Taylor said he'd convince the others if I made sure they had new costumes within four weeks. And so far, it seems as if I'm not able to deliver. Andrew just came by for his second fitting. And yesterday Taylor took me outside Miss Patty's to tell me he needed the custumes to be finished by a week from Thursday, because apparanently, there's this war reenactor festival in Litchfield. My business class finals are coming up, and I knew that. But I thought I'd tell him I'd make the costumes, because I wanted you to be happy. Happy, wow, stupid choice of words. Nobody is happy at a funeral. Even if you don't like the deceased."

Luke couldn't believe his ears. Taylor made her do this? And she did it, for him? He stood there, staring at her in disbelief, the butterflies back in his stomach. He blinked heavily, trying to digest the words she had rattled down.

"Why are you looking at me like that, Luke? I know, I'm sorry."

Luke swallowed, "You did all this so they would show up at my uncle's funeral?"

"Well, yeah", she replied shyly.

He slowly walked closer, came closer still, until there were only inches between them. He opened his arms, and she understood. He hugged her closely, a breath of relief left his nose. "You're amazing, Lorelai. I don't know what to say. Thank you. You have no idea how worried I was. But just so you know, I'm going to kick Taylor's ass", Luke said calmly, his arms still around her back. She chuckled. They loosened the grip a bit, Luke leaned back so he could see her face. For a while, he just looked at her. She smelled lovely, looked even better. "It's so good to see you, Lorelai. You have no idea how crazy I was going."

"How crazy were you going?", she asked curiously, her eyes set on his.

"I thought I had taken advantage of you, of your friendship."

"You're definitely crazy, my friend! Do you know how much of your time you have put in this house? I'm just trying to catch up."

Then there was silence. Luke still hadn't let her go. He needed to be close to her. She made no effort to get out of the hug either. There she was, Luke's best friend, without whom he knew he couldn't function. The last two weeks were proof. His heart rate went up again. He could feel her breath on his face and neck. He moved his head down a bit and let his arms slide up her back, he could feel her hands on his lower back. He closed his eyes and kissed her softly. Soon she kissed him back, opened her mouth to invite his tongue in. She moaned softly as it entered her mouth. Lorelai pulled back a little, forcing them to stop kissing. "Luke", she said as she looked him in the eyes, "where is this coming from?"

"It's always been there, Lorelai", he replied and kissed her again, more passionately this time. Lorelai's hands went around his neck where her fingers played with his soft curls. She felt waves of heat coursing through her veins. Luke felt her breasts pressing into his chest and could not think of a time when he was happier than in this moment.

"Mom, I'm back!", Rory said as she entered the house. Luke and Lorelai quickly separated their mouths, then the rest of their bodies.

"Oh, hey Luke! Are you staying for movie night? Look, mom, I got 'Just One of the Guys', oh, and imagine that: Mrs. Kim said yes, which means I'm sleeping over at Lane's tomorrow. Without Mrs. Kim in the house!", Rory almost sqealed.

"That's great, hon", said Lorelai.

"Um, no I'm not staying, I was just leaving, actually", Luke said with a shrug.

"Luke brought us some food. Thanks again, Luke", Lorelai said, "I'm just gonna walk you out."

"Bye Luke, thanks for the food!", Rory said with a wave.

"Anytime, have fun with the movie."

As they stood on the front porch, Lorelai took Luke's hand.

"Sorry about that."

"It's ok. Listen, Lorelai. I'd like to take you out to dinner. How's tomorrow sounding?", Luke said as he turned towards her.

"Sounds perfect. Seems like I got the whole place to myself", Lorelai said with a grin.

He took her hand to his mouth and placed the tiniest kisses on her knuckles, his broad shoulders shielding their intimate moment from unwanted looks from the porch next door.

"Ok, pick you up at seven, so you better plan to be ready by 6:30", Luke said.

"You know me too well", Lorelai said with a smile, leaned forward and kissed him gently.

* * *

Their first date was something Luke had thought about on and off for probably as long as he knew Lorelai. Dinner, movie, kiss goodnight, followed by a night of no sleep because he'd be lying in his bed alone, wondering what the skin on her breasts would taste like. In reality, they never made it to the movie. Lorelai wanted to be taken home. She wanted to be taken period. And she told him so as soon as their entrees had arrived at the Spanish restaurant in Woodbury.

They kissed all the way up the stairs, she walked backwards into her bedroom. Their clothes went flying, their impatient hands explored each other's bodies. No foreplay was necessary, they both were ready. Luke placed his erection at her entrance, looked into her eyes, making sure it was what she wanted. Her hands on is hard ass pushed him into her, making them both moan. Luke thrust into her, knowing he sure wouldn't last long this time. Before he could tell her that, he felt her walls tighten around his cock, intensifying the friction and making it impossible for him to hold it in any longer. Lorelai's orgasm lasted very long, longer that Luke had witnessed before. She screamed his name, dug her nails into his ass. He studied her face, watched how tension gave way to relaxation, and with one more thrust he emptied himself into her.

The usual post-coital tiredness never came, so they lay together, talked a little, kissed some more, and stroked each other. "Not to brag or anything, but I normally can do better, and last longer", Luke said.

"Luke, this was our first time, I usually don't come close to an orgasm when I sleep with someone for the first time. So, no reason to show off, ok?", she said teasingly and rolled on top of him. She kissed his nose, eyelids, then his mouth, his earlobe, his neck, moved down over his collarbone to his chest, licked his nipples and followed the trail of hair that started between his abs. Her tongue followed it through his navel. Between her breasts she could feel the blood flowing back into his manhood. She took his hardening cock and rubbed it up and down the valley between her breasts.

Her hand guided his soft tip to her left nipple, then to her right one. Luke's eyes widened as he saw how hard her nipples were getting. "Your skin feels incredible", he whispered. "Good", Lorelai said as she trapped his long hard penis between her breasts, and moved them up and down with her hands, her finger tips on her nipples. "God, Lorelai. So good", Luke moaned. She then took the tip of his cock into her mouth, closed her lips around it and sucked it. Luke's breaths became shorter. He couldn't take his eyes off of her. Lorelai let her breasts go and and used her left hand to stroke his balls, while her right hand worked tandem with her mouth on his erection. "Jesus", Luke panted.

Luke was coming closer to his release, but he was desperate to feel Lorelai, taste her, so he moved his hips away and sat up. He leaned forward and gave Lorelai a hot openmouthed kiss. "You taste like me", he said. "Mmmmhhh", Lorelai replied, "which means I must taste delicious." He firmly held her and laid her down on her side, laying next to her. Luke kissed her for minutes on the mouth, then his tongue slowly left her face. He let it glide to her ear where he nibbled a little, then he suckled on the skin right below which made her juices flow. "Luke", she moaned as she tilted her head to give him better access. His hands were roaming her body. Luke placed a thousand little kisses between her collarbone and her breasts, before he finally sucked on her nipple, which earned him a load moan. He started suckling, using his teeth to softly bite her. She grabbed his head and pulled him closer still. He gave her other nipple the same treatment.

Luke's tongue moved further down, leaving a wet trail on her hot, creamy skin. He finally had arrived at the apex of her legs. He parted her damp folds with his index finger from her entrance to her clit, seconds later his tongue repeated this motion. "Fuck, Luke", she said as she closed her eyes to fully enjoy the sensation of his velvety tongue on her sensitive bud. He let two fingers glide into her very moist center while his tongue circled her clit. Lorelai moved her pelvis for more friction and groaned loudly. Luke loved her sweet taste and moaned himself. But to taste her wasn't enough, ne needed to feel that tightness around his cock again. He stopped suckling, she moaned frustatrated.

"Ride me", he demanded.

"I probably will come as soon as-", she said.

"Yeah, but still, I need to feel you. Now", Luke answered.

He laid down, she straddled his hips and his hand guided his hard cock into her wet and tight sex. "Oh my God!", she said through gritted teeth. Lorelai started to ride him hard, feeling him meet her every time she came down on him. "Lorelai, God you're wet", Luke whispered. Lorelai was close and picked up the pace. "Luke, God, Luke, I'm coming", she screamed as she tumbled over the edge. Without hesitation Luke flipped them around. He now was behind her and she was on her knees. His right hand on the small of her back brought her upper body forward and his throbbing erection pushed into her once more. He was careful at first, his thrusts slow.

"Faster", Lorelai demanded. He happily complied and fucked her harder. He hit her G-spot with every thrust and she moaned mercilessly. Luke leaned forward and roughly massaged her breasts with his left hand while his right steadied her at her hip. Lorelai now rubbed her clit with her hand, feeling his balls slapping against her labia. "Jeez, Luke, so fucking good", she said. "Lorelai", Luke said through his heavy pants, "come for me". "Almost there", she said as she rubbed her clit faster. "Oh Luke, you're so hard", were her last words before she came for the third time that night, taking him with her.

After minutes of heavy panting they laid cuddled together in the bed. Lorelai started wiggling her ass and her hands fumbled under her back. She pulled a pair of tan pants from under them. They started laughing.

"Seems like we christened Taylor's new pants", she said with a chuckle.

"Oh brother, now I seriously can't keep a straight face when I see them waiting for the stupid battle that never took place", Luke said and pulled her close.

**Let me know if you had as much fum reading it as I had writing it!**


	6. Blame it on the Washer

**Hello everyone! I write the smut, you read the smut. Perfect world, isn't it? Let the games begin! Season 4, no Jason, no Nicole.**

* * *

**Blame it on the washer**

Lorelai opened her front door quickly, ran over the porch down the steps, across the lawn and right to Rory, who had just arrived from New Haven.

"Oh God, it's so good to see you, sweet child of mine!", she squealed as she pulled her daughter close for a tight hug.

"Woah! You really did miss me, huh?", Rory said a tad confused.

"You have no idea, kid. You, only you. And my clothes."

"Huh, should have guessed", Rory said as she broke away from her mother.

They both went to the trunk of the car. When it opened, Lorelai took a step back and let her eyes wander over the baskets and bags full of her clothing. "God bless you, Rory", Lorelai said blissfully. They both carried the baskets and duffle bags into the house.

"So, when are you going to call the guy?", Rory said as she followed Lorelai up the stairs.

"What guy?", Lorelai replied innocently.

"Mom, the guy who can fix the washing machine!", the daughter said matter-of-factly while walking into her mother's bedroom.

Lorelai started to unpack her clean clothes and put them into her dresser and closet, "Finally, no more period underwear!"

"Gross!", Rory stated with a disgusted face.

"Honey, relax, you saved my life. I now can go back to wearing underwear I'm not embarrassed of. And that is a good thing, right?"

"OK, changing the subject now", she said as she focused on the stuff that went into the closet, "Please explain why you won't go to a laundromat. I mean, you drove your dirty stuff all the way to New Haven earlier this week, and now I drove the clean clothes back. The gas money alone was probably more than it would have cost to wash it here in Stars Hollow. Plus, I'm in college, I'm supposed to come here to wash _my_ dirty laundry, not the other way round"

"Well, first of all, I went to New Haven for two other reasons. I had a meeting with the tile guy, and I wanted to see my beautiful daughter. Second, I don't do laundromats. Finally, Kirk works at the laundromat, and I'd rather die than letting him get a glimpse of my underwear!"

"You do realize that the washers at my dorm aren't necessarily different from a laundromat?", Rory asked as she finished putting away the rest of Lorelai's clothes.

"Nu uh! It's _very_ different! There's no Kirk around, and I don't know who uses the washing machine. In Stars Hollow, I know who uses them. And let me tell you, you don't wanna know who does."

"Ok, you win. But please call the guy already. I don't wanna play clothing messenger anymore!"

"Ok, hon, I will", Lorelai said reassuringly, "Is it me, or does this putting away the clothes make you hungry, too?"

"I'm starved."

"Dinner at Luke's?"

"Great! Let's go!"

* * *

"Hi Luke!", Rory said entering the diner.

"Hey, Luke", Lorelai said with a smile.

"Hi, Lorelai, hi, Rory", Luke replied.

They sat on stools at the counter, ordered burgers and fries.

"So, um, Luke, you got a minute?", Lorelai asked.

"Sure, just let me get rid of this", he said and his eyes went to the coffee pot in his right hand.

It has been a busy night. After all those years in the business, Luke still had no idea why sometimes all the customers decided to show up at the same time. _Probably because all lunatics have the same weird clock inside them._ Luke quickly checked with Ceaser, but their burgers weren't ready yet, so he turned back to the Gilmore girls.

"So, you wanted to talk to me?", he asked Lorelai.

She looked up from her coffee. "Yes. See, I have a problem. Have you noticed that I'm wearing the same pants for the third time this week?"

"You know, I was just gonna ask you if you were out of your mind", he deadpanned.

"Ok, no reason to be so snotty, mister. Not everyone is born to wear the same outfit day after day. Some need change, variety, alternation!", Lorelai said over-dramatically.

"Rory, put me out of my misery", Luke grunted.

"Our washer's broken", Rory said with a sigh.

"Uh huh", Luke turned arouned and served them their food.

"Thank you", Lorelai said.

"Thanks, Luke", Rory said and greedily ate a few fries before she took a big bite of her cheeseburger.

"So, you want me to look at your washing machine?"

"Nothing can be concealed from that genius mind of yours, my friend. It astounds me how you were never asked to be studied by scientists", Lorelai remarked sarcastically as she swallowed.

"Very funny. I can take a look, but I can't make any promises."

"Good, that's all I ask. You have time tomorrow?"

Luke thought for a moment, then answered, "No, tomorrow I have to open and close the diner, and I have an errand to run around noon. Sorry. The day after tomorrow will work, though."

"I have to be at the inn around noon that day, but I guess I'll be home around one, one-thirty at the latest."

"Good, I can be there around two, right after the lunch rush."

"Thank God! It's a date!"

Luke then took care of his other customers, and Lorelai and Rory ate their food.

"You are shameless!", Rory hissed.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Ok, fine, you win this time. Maybe I'm a little shameless. But I have a kid in college and an inn to remodel. So I can't afford to call a _real_ guy."

"Uh, Luke's a real guy", Rory said.

"Yeah, Luke's a guy, a man, uh, a manly man, but I was talking about a washing machine guy."

"Luke's a manly man? Did you watch _Two and a Half Men_ again?", Rory teased.

"Just eat your food."

* * *

"Luke's."

"Hi, it's Lorelai."

"Hey, how are you doin'?"

"Good, good, you?"

"It's pretty busy here."

"So, um, I'm sorry, but didn't we have a date today? Like two hours ago?"

"Oh, shit, Lorelai. I completely forgot! Idiot!", Luke said, angry at himself.

"It's OK. Rory brought me clean clothes two days ago, I'll be good for the rest of the week."

"I can be at your house in 30 minutes. If you have time... I can bring brownies", he offered.

"Um, well, sure. I have to be at the inn, like now, but I'll be back in no time. Bring the brownies!"

"I will, see you in a bit", Luke said, then added, "I'm sorry I forgot you."

"Don't worry about it, bye then!", Lorelai said and then hung up. She quickly left the house and drove to the Dragonfly Inn to meet Sookie and Michel. They have been putting this off, but they had to decide on tiles for the bathrooms very soon so that the remodel would continue smoothly.

* * *

Luke arrived at Lorelai's house 45 minutes later. He had to shower and change because a patron at the diner had accidentally dropped a chocolate milk shake as Luke knelt next to the table to tie his shoe. He was covered in the sweet mess from head to toe. Lorelai's jeep wasn't there. As Luke stood on her porch in front of the frosted glass door with Bert the toolbox in his right hand, he read the post-it note she had left him.

_Hey, Handsome!_

_In case I'm running late, you can let yourself in, the backdoor's unlocked. The washer is the white box next to the dryer._

_L_

That was typical. Luke hated that she leaves her doors unlocked _and _spells it out for everyone to see._ But hey, at least she considers me handsome._ Luke went around the house and entered the mudroom off the kitchen.

"Unbelieveable", was all he muttered when he saw the heaps of dirty laundry. Even more unbelievable to Luke was the fact that the room smelled lovely, not at all like dirty laundry was supposed to smell.

Luke put Bert next to the washer and went into the kitchen to get a shallow bowl. He went back to the mudroom and sat on the floor on front of the washer. "Thank God she doesn't have a top loader", he said to himself as he opened the lid that sat in front of the pump, pulled the small hose out and positioned the bowl under it. He watched as the water dripped from the hose. When no more water came, he carefully twisted the round lid of the sieve and pulled it out. A bit more water dribbled down and Luke grabbed a dirty towel that sat on the floor behind him to put it in front of the washer. As soon as the round sieve was completely out, he fished the usual fluff and lint balls out. He found a couple coins, a bra wire, and an undefinable black piece of fabric. It wasn't very big, but probably the reason why the pump of the washing machine wasn't functioning anymore.

_What the hell is this?_ Luke's fingers fumbled as he tried to disentangle the black ball. His eyes widened, as he realized that he had a piece of underwear in his hand. "Oh boy", he sighed. He pulled on a string and then he saw the entire thing: a small triangle with two strings that led to a smaller triangle, a third string connected the triangles on the bottom. The fabric was lacy and completely see-through. He held it in front of his head, closed his eyes, felt his cheeks blushing and then his jeans were suddenly too tight. He jumped up and dropped the undergarment in the bowl, where the coins and the bra wire were already mixing with the lint balls. "What is wrong with me? Getting hard from a wet thong? I'm such a pervert", Luke whispered and quickly washed his hands in the kitchen sink. He went back to the laundry room to test if the washer was working again. Thankfully it did, he let out a big sigh, and his eyes dropped to the bowl that still sat on the floor.

"Luuuucaaas!", he heard Lorelai yell as she entered the foyer.

"In here", he said and quickly went back to the kitchen.

"Hey, I'm so sorry I'm late. We had this huge discussion over bathroom tiles at the inn. Sookie wanted the teal ones, Michel the gray ones, but hey, since when does he have a say, right? I wanted the light blue ones, and now we agreed on the light turquoise mosaic tiles. So, how are you, and more importantly, how's the washer?", Lorelai asked.

"I fixed it, it was just the filter of the pump that was in desperate need of a clean-up."

"You're an angel, you know that?", she said before she walked over to him and hugged him. "So, you have time for a snack, or do you have to get back to the diner?"

"Ceaser's closing tonight. Let me just get the brownies, I forgot them in the truck."

Luke walked into the laundry room to get Bert, and exited the house through the back door. Lorelai washed her hands in the kitchen, grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, placed them on the kitchen table, and then went to the mudroom herself. Her eyes fell to the small bowl in front of the washer, and she recognized it. It was the same one Rory had used so many years ago. Its content looked very similar, too. "Mom, it says here in the manual that you have to clean the sieve once a year. The washer is exactly one year old, so I thought I'd do it. Just remember to do it every year, OK?", her daughter had said then. She couldn't have been older than 13, maybe 14. Lorelai bent her upper body forward to take the bowl. "Gross", she mumbled as she went back to the kitchen and to the sink. She placed the bowl in the sink and carefully fished out that black thing that was darker than the rest of the crap.

As it hung on her index finger, it disentangled and Lorelai cheeks turned pink. Her imagination went running wild as she pictured Luke seeing the tiny triangles of black see-through fabric. The thong still dangling from her forefinger, she turned around to see Luke standing in her kitchen, a paper box in his hand. They both were embarrassed and his skin tone now matched hers.

"D-Did you find that in the washer?", she asked as her eyes desperately tried to avoid to look to his face.

Luke cleared his throat, "Um, yeah."

"Ok, good. T-That's good. I, I was actually looking for it everywhere", Lorelai said and tried to save the situation.

"Yeah, I believe that. I mean, it's not exactly a clown costume...", Luke stated a bit amused.

"So, you took a... a closer look then?", Lorelai asked shyly.

"Jeez, no, I didn't. I, uh, was just not sure what it could be, so I pulled the, the thing, and then realized what it was", Luke mumbled.

"Oh."

"Maybe I should go."

"You don't have to."

"This is awkward."

"Yeah, it is. I mean, for me it is. Now you know what I wear...", she motioned her hand over her lower abdomen with her hand, "under it."

"Not what I had pictured."

"_Pictured_? _You_ pictured me in underwear?"

"No, it's just I've seen you in a bathing suit at the lake. Even when it was a bikini, it was more... conservative", Luke said a little embarrassed.

"Well, I was there with Rory, what was I supposed to wear? Nothing?", Lorelai asked.

"That would have been a huge crowd pleaser!", he said smirking.

"Are you flirting with me, Luke?"

He fell silent for a moment. "Maybe."

"Maybe", she repeated quietly.

Lorelai turned back tothe sink and let the thong slip from her finger. Next thing she knew, he stood closely behind her, she could feel his breath on her neck and ear. She closed her eyes and then felt his tongue on the side of her neck while his hands roughly squeezed her breasts through the fabric of her blouse and her bra. She turned around and saw the lust in his eyes. Their lips met and their tongues duelled for control. When they had to stop to catch their breaths, he moved his head to her left side.

Luke moaned her name in her ear and Lorelai impatiently unbottened his flannel. She touched the hard muscles of his chest through his gray t-shirt and unbuckled his belt. His flannel, t-shirt and cap went flying on the kitchen floor as his jeans were opened by her nimble fingers before they pooled at his ankles. She could feel his hard cock in her hand and Luke freed her of her blouse. Lorelai took off her jeans and now was standing before him in her underwear only. Luke took a step back as his eyes made their way from the soft mounds of her breasts over her flat stomach to the apex of her legs. He recognized the familiar triangle, its white color in deep contrast to the dark curls which it covered perfectly. His lips formed a smile. He cleared his throat.

"So, um, I see you got one in white also?", he asked with a big smile that showed his white teeth.

"I'm a very busy woman, OK?", Lorelai said as she crossed her arms in front of her chest, adding, "That's why I ordered five of them online."

"Five? What color are the other three?", Luke asked teasingly.

"Guess!", she challenged him.

"What?", he asked in disbelief.

"You guess the other three colors. For each one you get right, you'll get something in return."

"Like a reward?", Luke asked with a grin.

"Yes", she smiled.

"I feel like a dog."

"And I feel like a naughty kitten", Lorelai whispered into his ear as her right hand glided down his naked chest, feeling the soft hair.

She nibbled on his ear, he could feel her hot breath and his boxers became tight. "Guess", she encouraged him. Luke thought hard, desperate for a reward.

"Pink", he said half stating, half asking. Lorelai let her fingers slide into the waistband of his boxers, playing with the elastic. She ignored his erection and went right for his balls, playing with them, lightly tugging them. He inhaled through gritted teeth, followed by a deep moan as his head fell back. Lorelai let her tongue dance from his ear over the stubble on his jaw and cheek. She kissed him deeply and her smile ended the interaction of their mouths for the moment.

"Good boy, now, what are the other two?"

Luke found it very hard to concentrate since Lorelai hasn't stopped giving him her reward. He opened his eyes, his hands now on her shoulders. "God, I hope red", Luke said with a deep sexy voice. Her eyes started to sparkle, she nodded and her right hand grabbed his hard cock and stroked it on the base of the shaft. Her thumb circled the soft tip. "Jesus, Lorelai", Luke said with a groan. She now stroked his entire length. She lowered her left hand from the nape of his neck over his shoulder down his muscular chest and abs until she reached the waistband of his boxers which she pulled down.

He stepped out of his shoes, with his feet he kicked his jeans and boxers aside. "Now, last color, Luke. What can it be?", Lorelai asked while still stroking his erection. _Think, man, think. Oh God, her hand feels so good. I'm screwed. _"Purple?", he asked distractedly. Lorelai immediately stopped to carress him. He tried to focus. "Green?" She didn't start again.

"Oh, Luke. So wrong. Two wrong ones in a row, you know what that means?", she said nonchalantly.

"That it's your turn now!", he answered coolly.

His fingers opened her bra in the back and he passionately kissed her, his hands testing the weight of her breats, She moaned quietly as he rolled her nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. Soon his mouth devoured her breasts and made her even wetter. Luke toyed with the strings of her thong before he quickly pushed it down. He sank to his knees, separated her legs and licked her clit ardently. Lorelai's fists were in his hair and he penetrated her with one, then two fingers. "I need that perfect cock of yours inside of me. Now!", Lorelai demanded.

He stood up, grabbed her ass and lifted her on the counter. "Oh God", she groaned.

"Lorelai", he said in the barest whisper, "you're so beautiful."

She kissed him deep and took his throbbing erection in her right hand, stroking it a couple of times. Her hands cupped his ass and pushed him inside her. "Jesus, you feel good", she said. Luke began plunging into her, steadying her at her hips with his hands. Her legs closed around his ass and didn't leave him much space for his thrusts. "God, you're tight", he said through gritted teeth. He picked up the pace and looked down to their joined bodies, being extremely turned on by the sight of it. His cock slick with her juices, her engorged clit that sat between her pink folds. He leaned forward to suckle her nipples as he continued to thrust into her hard and fast. "I'm close, Luke", Lorelai managed to say. "So am I", he replied, then kissed her passionately. He forced his eyes to stay open to take in her facial expression. She felt his eyes on her face, threw her head back and writhed under him as she gave in to the sensation of her orgasm. The combination of her tightening walls and the pure lust that her body was emanating made him explode in her.

"So, what is the fifth color?", he asked after his pants had slowed down.

"Light blue", she replied with a smile, "You like?"

"I love."

Lorelai hugged him tight and buried her head in his hair. She sniffed a little, "How come you don't smell like fries?", she asked with a frown.

"I had to shower before I came here. A customer at the diner bathed me in her chocolate milk shake."

"What?", Lorelai asked in shock. "Next time that happens, you come straight here. I could lick it off of you."

"Yes, Ma'am", Luke answered with a huge smile.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed it. Please, leave a review on your way out!**


	7. The Fight

**Hi, my beloved readers! Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! Glad you like the stories. I do love writing them. My ideas for a longer story are more concrete now, but I probably need a beta for it. Audition's on Monday at five pm sharp. Classic ballet training not required, as long as you have a master's degree in Gilmorism. Ok, this story is quite a stretch. I'm aware of that. Enjoy it nonetheless!**

* * *

Lorelai felt like shit. She knew that she had gone too far. But he had to know that all that anger wasn't directed _at_ him. Unfortunately, all the angry words were said _to_ him. Words she now felt sorry for. In fact, she regretted each one of them the moment they had left her mouth. She had been unfair to him. But her baby daughter was hurt, and the fear for her life was bigger than any rational thought. This was Luke. Luke, Stars Hollow Luke. _Her_ Luke. Looking at Rory who had drifted off to sleep an hour or so ago made Lorelai realize that all the unfair accusations might have destroyed their great friendship. She was too confused, too hurt to get some much needed sleep after an eventful day like this.

She wasn't only thinking about her own friendship to Luke, but also the one Rory had with him. In all of those years he not only took care of Lorelai's thirst for coffee, he was the closest thing to a father Rory had since she was 11 years old. He always made sure she had a place to study when Lorelai was working late at the inn. Lorelai might have made this house a home, but he had made a house of the crap shack in the first place, made their home a safe place to live in. Lorelai never could have imagined that a friend would do all those favors for her. The only other person who had helped her in a similar way was Mia. But that was very different. Lorelai figured that Mia's maternal instinct had kicked in all those years ago. Mia never had a daughter, and she and Lorelai had bonded very quickly.

Her thoughts went back to Luke. Luke was nice enough to take in his nephew. _That little jerk_. Lorelai sighed. She knew Rory would recover, she wasn't so sure if her friendship to Luke would. With those thoughts of uncertainty she closed her eyes, and due to her exhaustion soon fell asleep.

* * *

After only a few hours Lorelai woke up and her first look went straight to Rory. She was still sound asleep. Lorelai was glad, calmer, she noticed the presence of someone else. She slowly looked to her right. Luke! Luke was sitting uncomfortably with closed eyes next to her. Her heart raced. The anger came back up. She touched his arm, and he opened his eyes. She motioned to the kitchen with her head. They stood up and silently left Rory's room. After closing the door Lorelai went straight to the coffee maker. Without saying a word Luke took the carafe from her hands. She sat on one of the chairs, her mind running wild. She wanted to say so many things to him. She wanted to apologize. She truly felt sorry.

"Luke, what are you even doing here?", she said instead.

"I'm making you coffee", he said calmly.

"I can't believe you're here."

"I had a hard time falling asleep."

"Me too."

"You want me to go?", he asked.

"I want to... talk. Maybe we should talk."

"Yeah. Look, I know I'm probably the last person you want to see right now. I just couldn't sleep. I didn't know if Rory was fine. So I drove to the hospital. They said you had left already. I was relieved, because I knew it wasn't that bad."

"It was though. Rory has a cast", Lorelai said a tad too loud.

"Lorelai, I meant, it wasn't as bad as you had made it sound", Luke said knowing he was only making it worse.

"As bad as I had made it sound? Are you kidding me? I was having a freakin' heart attack when Rory called me to tell me where she was!", she yelled.

"Exactly! She _called_ you! You knew she was capable of calling you herself, she spoke to you, yet you came to me, and made it sound like she was in a coma? What was I supposed to do?", Luke asked desperately.

Lorelai didn't answer, stood up and went to the living room where she sat on the couch. She closed her eyes, rested her head on the back of the couch, and exhaled. That was not how this conversation should have gone. All those feelings of regret, and the apologies she already had for him wouldn't come out. Instead, they picked up right where they had left off. Hopefully Rory didn't hear any of it. Lorelai hadn't told her about her fight with Luke. When Luke still hadn't followed her after a few minutes, she opened her eyes and turned her head right to look into the kitchen.

He appeared seconds later with two cups. Luke gave her a cup, and wordlessly climbed over her legs, sat down next to her, and sipped from his cup. Lorelai took a huge gulp, and peeked into his cup.

"What is this?", she asked.

"Coffee", he said blandly.

"Coffee, as in... coffee?", she said quizzically.

"Yes."

"You drink coffee?"

"Rarely, yes. I poured half a cup and added lots of milk."

_Could this night get any crazier? _After the yelling match in the town square, Luke was now sitting on Lorelai's couch and drinking coffee?! Without hesitation she took his cup and drank. She made a face. "And apparently sugar", she stated shaking her head.

"Luke, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I yelled at you. But you have to understand. I panicked. And I couldn't find the one responsible."

"You couldn't find the animal that caused the accident?"

"Please tell me you're kidding again! You come here, and defend that little punk. Again?!", Lorelai yelled.

"Maybe this wasn't a good idea."

"You coming here? No it wasn't. It was the worst idea. Wait, bringing Jess here in the first place was worse, but this is a close second!"

"Stop yelling at me, Lorelai! You think I don't feel bad enough as it is? You think I don't know that I wasn't qualified to help Jess? I failed him! And on top of that sent him back to the place that made him this way. I punished him for something he was not responsible for!"

"You sent him back?" Luke nodded. "Back to New York?" He nodded again. "When?"

Luke checked his watch. "Four hours ago."

"But I didn't tell you to do that. I didn't ask you to do that."

"Right, because I only ever do what Lorelai Gilmore tells me to do", he snapped.

"Stop being a jerk, Luke!", she cried.

"I'm the jerk now? I came here because I was terrified something was wrong with Rory, then you blame Jess for the accident, that's right _accident_. It's implied that it's no one's fault when it's an accident. And you blame me for everything else! This", he said while gesturing between the two of them, "_was_ a really bad idea!"

"We've already established that", stated as she placed her cup on the coffee table.

"No, I don't mean me coming here. I mean this", he said gesturing again.

"This?", Lorelai said with a frown.

"Me and you. This... friendship. It's not working."

Lorelai felt tears rising in her eyes, a pang going right to her heart. She rose slowly and went to the stairs. She didn't have the energy or the courage to say anything in that moment. So she stood there for a while, facing the wall, not daring to let him see her tears. She quickly climbed the stairs, and didn't turn around until she reached the upstairs landing. She looked down to him, seeing him still on her couch, his eyes on his shoes. Lorelai couldn't believe that Luke didn't consider their friendship worth fighting for.

She entered her bedroom, closed the door and sank to the floor. She felt exhausted, and leaned her back against the door, her knees closely against her chest. The tears still flowing, she took her face in her hands and sobbed sadly. She knew deep in her heart that all she wanted was him holding her, comforting her, telling her it was all gonna be OK. Lorelai knew that she probably could live without him, but she also knew that she certainly didn't want to. A new wave of tears reached her hands. She waited to hear the front door close. After a few minutes she stood up, grabbed a tissue from her bedside table, and dried her face. She took another tissue to blow her nose, and walked to the window. His green truck was still parked behind her jeep.

She considered going back down. Tell him to leave. She couldn't do it. She needed him here. Needed him to be there for her. Needed to tell him that he didn't have to send Jess away.

Fuelled by the coffee and the strong words, Lorelai went into her bathroom to take a long hot shower. She hoped that the water would wash away the awful feeling in her chest. She also hoped that Luke would either leave as long as she didn't hear it, or that after the shower she'd have the strength to go back down and tell him how she truly felt about him. But how did she feel about him? Lorelai pondered while drying herself with a towel.

She knew that if she let the real feelings come to the surface, there'd be no going back. She knew she was jealous when he was with Rachel, and furious when she thought Ava from the Booster club had asked Luke out on a date. Lorelai knew how possessive she can be, but when she was honest with herself, she realized that it wasn't a matter of possessiveness alone. And that was another level of unfair. She hated herself that she never truly was happy for Luke when he was with someone. She wanted to be happy for him, but Lorelai only managed to say the words in a convincing way without meaning them. How could she be so hurt by his words? She's heard the words before, said them even more. _Go to hell! Right back at ya!_ She sighed. She grabbed the sweat pants and t-shirt that hung on the bathroom door and put the clothes on.

Lorelai quietly opened the door and peeked into the upstairs hallway. She cocked her head to get a glimpse of the living room. The couch was empty. Her bare feet carried her back into her bedroom where she immediately went to the window to look for the familiar green truck.

Before she reached the windor, she heard a light knock on her door. "Lorelai?", he said quietly. She had no words for him. She felt that all the words were said. She didn't want him to feel guilty about his decision. Luke opened the door and stepped in. Lorelai was still standing by the window, the room dimly lit by the moon. He saw her puffy eyes.

Without a word he crossed the room in three long strides and took her in his arms. She pressed her face into his shoulders and started crying again. He stroked her wet hair. "Shhh", he said calmingly. She held him by his shoulders and sobbed into the comforting flannel, inhaling his typical scent of masculinity and something else she couldn't describe. "I'm so sorry, Luke", she spoke into the fabric. He kissed her on her temple. "I know. I'm sorry, too. I don't know what to say."

"This. You already said all you needed to say. God, I'm so sorry."

"I just couldn't leave, Lorelai. Not like this."

"I know what you mean. I couldn't tell you to leave."

"You were right, I'm a jerk, I'm the one who suggested the tutoring thing and n-", Luke admitted.

"_You're_ a jerk? _I'm_ the jerk! I started the yelling match in the middle of the town square. And back in the house. Twice."

Lorelai slipped out of his embrace, needing more tissues. "Thank you, I really needed this. You have the perfect Lorelai-comforting-height", she said as she sat down on her bed.

"I think I better go now, it's late."

"Sure is. You have to open tomorrow, or today actually?"

"In fact, I'm going away for a couple of days. Before I got here, I packed my fishing gear in the truck already."

"You're leaving? But we're having the movie in the square night."

"Just for a couple of days, to clear my head", Luke said as he walked back to the door. Lorelai stood up and went to him.

"Is it OK if I give you another hug?"

"Sure, come here", he said.

They hugged even tighter this time. Lorelai's hands were on his lower back. She heard him inhale deeply. Luke could smell her flowery shampoo and closed his eyes for a moment, taking it all in. He knew she was right before, he did have the perfect height for her. She loosened her grip a little, leaning her head back slightly. They locked eyes. "What?", he asked with a frown.

"I don't want you to go", Lorelai whispered and lightly brushed his lips with hers.

Of course she had thought of kissing Luke before. It all had happened over a year ago. Seeing him with Rachel had triggered something in her. She stopped seeing Luke solely as the guy with the perfect coffee, suddenly he was _Luke_. Very handsome, funny, caring, even if he'd never admit the latter. Before that she had seen various aspects one sees of friends. Sad Luke, angry Luke, ranting Luke, comforting Luke. And then, out of thin air, she got a glimpse of relationship Luke. Luke had looked happy, the coffee had tasted different, and her thoughts had explored territory that better had stayed untouched.

She had wondered what his lips would feel like, if he was a good kisser, though deep down she knew that maybe his quiet nature meant that he'd be an expert in using his mouth and tongue for other things than speaking. She had watched him, how he acted around Rachel. And one lonely night after Rachel was long gone and Lorelai had called off the wedding to Max, she thought of Luke not as the guy with the perfect coffee, but as the perfect guy, who happened to serve coffee. Lorelai had sworn to herself that night that she'd never ever cross that line with Luke. She knew that she could never live with herself if she hurt Luke like she hurt Max.

What Lorelai didn't know then was that with Luke, she'd never even _want_ to run away. And just like that, without knowing, Lorelai was having her last first kiss. Luke's lips stayed on hers without much movement. After a while he pulled back a little. She looked at him, nervous, anxious, happy, all at the same time. "Luke, please don't go. Not tonight, not tomorrow. I, um, I love you, Luke."

His eyes widened, he didn't trust his ears. Did she really just say that? "Lorelai", he said and pulled her in another hug. She loved how he said her name. Her full name. No abbrevations, no nick names. She wondered how he'd react if she started using his full name. Or better yet, use his middle name in addition to Lucas. He'd probably tell her to shut up and never do it again. The thought made her smile. She chuckled. "What's so funny?", he asked confusedly as he peeled from her. "Nothin'", she shrugged, "I just love how you say my name."

Lorelai kissed him again, her tongue lightly tickling his upper lip. He cupped her neck and pulled her closer to his face. He kissed the corner of her mouth, and his mouth made its way up to her cheek, placing the lightest kisses on her skin. He could taste her moisturizer. Luke kissed her eyes, forehead, and when his mouth finally arrived back at her lush lips, his tongue begged for entrance. She parted her lips and he kissed her slowly at first. When the butterflies in his stomach were too much to bear, he deepened the kiss. Lorelai moaned lightly. Her hands were now on his back, rubbing lazy circles on the flannel. "You taste like coffee", Lorelai said.

"So? So do you. You probably taste like coffee all the time, even when you've just brushed your teeth. The flavor's burnt into your tongue", he said.

"I know, but how often do you taste like coffee? Not that often. So me being here, being able to taste coffee on your tongue is like Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, and my birthday all together."

"You're nuts!", Luke answered.

"That's very much possible", she said and kissed him once more.

His kisses made gave her goosebumps and made her weak in the knees. Her moans got louder as his hands touched her everywhere. Even through the fabric of her sweats it felt fantastic. But after a few minutes, she wanted to feel him on her skin. Lorelai started to unbutton his flannel and ran her hands over his biceps and down his arms. "Are you sure about this?", Luke asked carefully. "Very", she replied reassuringly and took off her shirt. Once again Luke was overwhelmed by her forwardness. At first he forced himself to look into her eyes, his heartrate close to 200 beats per minute.

When he finally allowed himself to look down on her bare breasts, his hands soon followed the way his eyes had taken moments before. His touch sent a thousand shivers down her spine, and she could feel the heat radiating from her center. "I can't believe this", Luke mumbled before his mouth made contact with the skin on her left breast. "You better believe it. I hope it's not a dream. Again."

"What do you mean? Again? Have you, um, uh, dreamt about...", Luke asked with a frown.

"Have you seen yourself in the mirror? Can you blame a girl?", she said as Luke blushed.

Lorelai took off Luke's t-shirt and unzipped his pants. He rolled her beaded nipples between his fingers which earned him a deep moan from Lorelai. "Off, take your clothes off", she whispered. Luke happily complied. Soon they found themselves naked on Lorelai's bed. They were savoring each moment, and explored each other's bodies thoroughly. Their hands made amends for the pain their voices had caused. "Can't believe how hot you are", Lorelai said as she lightly dragged her nails over his chest. She lay on her back and Luke kissed her deeply. "Love me", she whispered into his ear. He entered her and let out a loud groan when her hot wetness closed around his erection. Together they rocked back and forth in a slow pace. Propelled by the tightening grip of her legs around his ass, and the moans that became louder, Luke's thrusts got deeper until he felt her nails on his back. "Luke, oh my God", she said when the last wave of pleasure made him tumble over the edge.

She kissed him gently, and still held him close. "I'm squashing you", Luke said as he rolled to his side.

"It's OK", she replied as she cuddled up to him.

Luke couldn't describe how incredibly happy he felt in that moment. No words could do that feeling justice. "I love you, too", he said.

"Freaky day, huh?", Lorelai remarked while kissing his shoulder.

"Yup."

"But we're good now, right?"

"Wow, I must suck at this. I thought I made that clear..., um, before."

"You clearly do not suck at this, Luke. It was unbelievable."

"Ok, so there's a chance of a repeat in the near future?", Luke asked with a wide smile.

"Definite repeat potential", Lorelai said, almost drifting off to sleep.

"Good. I now declare this fight over", he said and gave her a kiss on the temple.

* * *

**Whew! That's done. What do you think? I had an internal debate for three whole days about the I love you. Lorelai said three very strong words in the town square, and I thought if I go there and have them reconcile that same night, they're in need of three other very powerful words. They had to come from Lorelai, because she did the damage in the first place. Long story short, what's done is done, now have a great weekend, leave a review on your way out if you want to! It's always appreciated. Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo. **


	8. The Sweetest Pain

**Well, hello there, readers! I hope you had a nice week, and are in the mood of some smut. Thanks so much for the reviews! **

* * *

**The Sweetest Pain**

"Mom, the phone!", Rory shouted.

"Let the machine get it!", Lorelai said, still immobile from her back spasm.

_We're not home, get over it. Beep._

_"Lorelai, it's your mother. I call to let you know I won't be able to make it after all. I'm terribly sorry, but my car just broke down. Make sure to take lots of pictures for me. See you next Friday."_

"Thank God", Lorelai mumbled. She then called, "Come on already!", to her daughter.

"I'm primping", Rory said from her room.

"You're 16. You have skin like a baby's ass. There's nothing to primp."

"OK, OK, here I come", the daughter said and walked into the living room in the dress her mother had made for her.

"Wow! Someone hit you with a pretty stick", Lorelai stated.

"This dress is amazing. You outdid yourself", Rory said with pride.

"It's beautiful, babe, you look beautiful. Come here!"

"What?", wanted to know.

"Stray hair", Lorelai said as she reached to her daughter's head.

"Fix, please", Rory demanded before her mother tucked the hair back into the bobby pin. "So, grandma's not coming."

"Didn't think I'd get so lucky", Lorelai remarked and let her eyes wander down on her daughter. "I think my favorite part is the shoes."

"The heels hurt."

"Well, beauty is pain."

"I'll just throw them on on my way out", Rory decided.

"No, you should put them on now and let your feet get really numb", Lorelai suggested.

"That's sick."

"Go get me the hair spray."

"OK."

The doorbell rang. Lorelai said, "It's open!". Her best friend Sookie entered the crap shack.

"It's me! I got burgers!", the chef yelled from the foyer.

"Yay!", Lorelai said.

"I got extra fries and brownies in case you get hungry later", Sookie said.

"You take such good care of me", Lorelai acknowledged.

"Hey, Sookie. Look!", Rory said proudly.

Sookie gasped. "Oh my God! You're a movie star! I'm serious. Oh my - At some point tonight, walk down a flight of stairs. Movie stars always walk down staircases."

"OK, come on, let me spray while you try to figure out what she just said", Lorelai remarked.

"You, don't move. I got it", Sookie offered. Unfortunately she pointed the bottle in the wrong direction and ended up spraying her eyes instead of Rory's hair.

"Ow!"

"Sookie", Lorelai said.

"Wrong way! I got it", Sookie said and pinched her eyes together.

"Are you OK?", Rory asked concerned.

"Sweetie, hand that to your mother, and my eyelashes are all stuck together", Sookie said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Honey, are you sure you're alright?", Lorelai wanted to know.

"I'm fine", Sookie assured her.

Lorelai told Rory to shield the food from the hair spray, and then added the final coat of support for her daughter's fancy updo. Sookie reentered the living room. "I'm gonna get going", she said.

"You are not driving", Lorelai insisted.

"I walked", Sookie said.

"Call in fifteen minutes or I'm sending out a search party."

"And you call me if I can come over and help you up the stairs or something", Sookie said to the wall, blinking her eyes.

"No, I'll be fine."

"Bye", Sookie said and left.

Rory was now done primping, and came into the room with her shoes on and her mother looked at her little girl, who very much resembled a grown-up that night. A car honked outside.

"That's Dean!", Rory said excited.

"Hey, come here. Have an amazing time", Lorelai said as she got a kiss from her daughter.

"I'll chronicle the whole evening for you, I promise. Bye, Mom!"

"Be home by twelve, love you, hon!"

* * *

Lorelai checked the clock on her VCR. Almost 7:30. She had spoken to Sookie on the phone, eaten a burger, and decided to take one of those muscle relaxers Sookie had given her a few days earlier. She sat on her couch Indian style, and she flipped through her 80 channels in under a minute. With a sigh she turned the TV off. Suddenly, she heard a knock on her door. "Oh, no, not Emily. Can't stand Emily tonight. Too much pain, too much physical pain. Not emotional pain on top of physical pain. Dear Lord, have you no mercy?", Lorelai said to herself. It knocked again.

"I'm in here!", Lorelai yelled as she firmly closed her eyes and said a little prayer.

"_I'm in here?_ Are you insane?"

"Luke?", Lorelai asked as she opened her eyes.

"Yes it's Luke. It could also be a burglar, murderer, rapist, or strangler!", he lectured, still in the foyer, taking off his coat.

"What's with the tongue-lashing? Aren't you a sight for sore eyes?", she said winking as he entered the living room.

"Sookie came by earlier to get burgers, extra fries and brownies to go. So she was either super hungry after the burger she had just eaten, or she was bringing it to someone who eats like an entire basketball team."

"Basketball? Why basketball?"

"I was just saying..."

"Yeah, but why basketball? Why not baseball or football?"

"I don't know, it was the first thing that came to mind."

"But you're a baseball guy, why do you associate my appetite with basketball?"

"How should I know? You can't exactly pick the associations you have, now can you? There's an entire psychological department into word associations", Luke grunted.

"But why basketball? Do you think of baskets when you think of me? Or of really tall guys? Are you into tall guys now?"

"Lorelai!" Luke hissed, run out of patience.

"Ok, alright, I stop. What brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"I havent't seen you in a couple days, and Sookie ordered so much food, that I was wondering if you were sick, and got back your appetite or something. Why are you sitting like that?", Luke said with a frown as he sat next to her.

"I have a back spasm, the dress form is to blame. She attacked me viciously!", Lorelai said overly-dramatic.

"She?"

"Well, yeah, she has boobs and everything."

"Jeez!"

"What's wrong, Luke? Don't like me saying the word 'boobs'?"

"I like it fine, it's just-", Luke said before she interrupted him.

"You like it fine, you into dirty words, mister, huh?", Lorelai said mockingly. Luke's cheeks blushed.

"I'm not gonna answer that."

"Ha! Whenever people say that, the answer is yes!", she said triumphantly.

"OK, I'm gonna go now!", Luke said and he stood up.

"Luke, stay, I'll stop, promise!"

He sat back down. "Back spasm? I have an ointment at my place that worked pretty good when I pulled a muscle last year. Want me to get it?"

"Sure, why not. Could you go to the kitchen and get me a brownie before you leave?"

He didn't answer, but his look said everything. He stood up and begrudgingly got her the dessert. He handed her the plate with a fork and napkin. "Thanks, you're a real life saver. I wasn't at Luke's all week, but tonight I get a brownie from Luke's plus Luke to serve it. All we need is a counter, a couple mismatched chairs and tables, and the illusion is complete", she said with a wide smile.

"Whatever you say, crazy lady. I won't be long", Luke said and left.

* * *

Lorelai had eaten the brownie, when she heard the front door open.

"Stay where you are! My husband will be home any minute!"

Luke poked his head minus baseball cap into the living room. "Not funny. And not very effective I imagine."

"Honey, it's you already! I didn't expect you home so early. How was work? Did you finally make that deal with Mr. Blockenpfeffer?"

Luke walked into the living room, finding Lorelai at the exact same spot on the couch in the exact same position. He'd never admit it, but it felt actually good to come home to her, even if her banter was just a mockery. Luke very much wished it wasn't so. He gave her the tube, and sat next to her. Lorelai took a closer look at the ointment before she tossed it on the coffee table.

"What, you're not gonna use it?", Luke asked with knitted eyebrows.

"Well, I took one of Sookie's pills earlier. I kinda hope the effect will kick in soon", she said with a shrug.

"Are you crazy? You can't take something that wasn't prescribed to you!"

"So, what about the ointment? It wasn't prescribed to me either."

"That's different. It's not some chemical pressed into the shape of a tic-tac."

"Maybe, but that also means it's probably not working", Lorelai stated matter-of-factly.

"I can assure you it does. Try it, seriously. Why did you send me to get it when you weren't gonna use it in the first place?"

"I really wanted that brownie?"

"Oh my God! I would have gotten you the brownie if you had asked me. Now, take the ointment, will ya?!"

"OK, I will", Lorelai said, still not bothering to take the tube from the coffee table to apply its content in her back.

"Just be sure to really work it into your skin. It works way faster this way."

"OK."

"I guess, I'll be on my way then."

"You don't have to. I don't mind the company actually."

"But you should really use the ointment, Lorelai. I leave you alone, now please do it."

"How? The pain is on my lower back. How could I rub it in properly?"

"Just use your hand, I'm sure you'll do fine", Luke said clearly annoyed. But then again, when was Luke not annoyed?

"OK", Lorelai said, "Help me up?"

Luke carefully put his arm under her shoulder and helped her up. "Can you take it from here?", Luke wanted to know.

"Could you help me upstairs? I think I'll go to bed. There's nothing on the TV anyway."

He nodded, Lorelai took the tube, and they slowly moved upstairs. After a few painful minutes, Lorelai went to the bathroom, and Luke waited for her. Then he took her to her bedroom. "Wow, this is the first time I see your bedroom this clean and tidy!", he said surprised.

"Gee, thanks. My mother was supposed to come by and take a couple dozen pictures of Rory getting ready for the dance, but some greater power took pity on me, and made her car break down. I cleaned the room for her. Didn't exactly help to be in pain all the time."

"Are you OK here?", Luke asked as Lorelai sat down on her bed.

"Ointment. What a funny word. It doesn't even sound English, don't you think? It kinda looks funny too. Any word that starts with 'oi' just looks funny. It's like 'appointment', but the first three letters are lost or someth-"

"Lorelai, are you in pain?"

"The alternatives aren't any better either. Unguent? Unction? Salve? Sounds kinda disgusting...", she rambled.

"Actually, 'salve' means greetings in Latin."

"How do you know that?"

"Took Latin in high school. Actually, you use it only when you greet one person. The plural's 'salvete'."

"Geek."

"For the last time, are you OK, can I go now?"

"No, and yes."

"You're not OK?"

"No, Luke, OK, I'm in pain. But that's nothing new. So you can go, get ready for your date already!", Lorelai practically yelled.

"Whoa, where did that come from? I don't have a date! What gave you that idea?"

"Well, it's 8 o'clock on a Saturday night, and you've been kind of... eager to leave."

"I just thought you'd want to be alone. When I don't feel fine, I want to be my myself."

"I don't!", Lorelai clarified, then added, "And for the record, I can't reach my lower back good enough to rub in some weird sounding creme."

"OK, OK, then I'll stay a little longer, and I do it for you", Luke said appeasingly.

"You'd do that?"

"What did I just say?"

"That you'd do it."

"OK, you lie down, and I go wash my hands, alright?"

Lorelai nodded and lay on her stomach. Luke came back shortly after, toed off his boots, and straddled the backs of her knees. He very carefully pushed her longsleeved t-shirt up until the skin on the lower half of her back was exposed. Lorelai gave him the tube. "Here we go. I'll warm it between my hands a little before I rub it on your back. Where does it hurt exactly?"

"It's above my right butt cheek. Above the waistband of my pants."

"Here?", Luke asked with his finger tips on her skin.

"Ow! We have a winner!"

"Sorry. Too much pressure?", he asked.

"It's OK."

"Good, I'll first apply the ointment with light pressure, and then I rub it in until your skin isn't slippery anymore."

"Uh huh", Lorelai said and tried to relax.

Luke now used the entire palm of his hand, not just the fingers. He spread the creme, and started to apply light pressure on the spot that gave her the pain. "Is that OK?", he asked.

"Aaahhhhh!", Lorelai moaned.

"Don't do that!"

"Do what?"

"Don't make sex noises."

"That wasn't a sex noise. You should hear me when I-"

"Jeez!", Luke interrupted her and was glad she wasn't able to see his blushed cheeks.

"I was telling you it was OK. It feels heavenly, Luke."

"It feels very hard", Luke stated.

"Luke!"

"I'm talking about your spasm. Grow up! Or I'll stop."

"Fine, fine."

He worked in the salve, trying to loosen the knot. He couldn't believe how she could talk about sex like that. She was so exposed. Luke had to focus on his hands, and not give the general situation he was in too much thought. Lorelai was with him in her bed, she trusted him to be there, practically begged him to stay. The sore spot was getting smaller. Lorelai on the other hand was focusing on her noises, or the lack thereof. She would love to moan, it felt so good.

"You have magic hands, Luke, where did you learn that?"

"Kneading all that dough might have helped."

"So you think of dough while you're massaging me?"

"I'm not massaging you!"

"OK, what are you doing?"

"I rub in the ointment."

"The difference being?"

"The difference is that I work on one spot, I sit on your knees, and there are no candles or relaxing music playing in the background."

"Could there be all of those things?"

"What do you mean?"

"Music, candles, full body massage?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"Because!"

"But, Luke, it feels so good, your hands feel so good. If I were allowed to moan, there'd be a lot less talking in here."

"Fine! I'll massage the rest of your back and that's it! But I can't use the ointment for that."

"I'll get some body lotion from the bathroom."

Luke pulled her shirt back down and sat on the bed. Lorelai got up and moved her hips to check if her pain was better. "Wow, Luke! If people suddenly stopped eating, you'd have a second career!"

When Lorelai returned to her bedroom, she was surprised to find the three candles on her dresser lit. "Wow, if I didn't know it better, I'd say you want to seduce me."

"Just gimme the lotion and lie down."

"Ooh, I love bossy Luke in the bedroom!", Lorelai teased.

"Lorelai, one more word and I'm outta here!"

"Fine", she said and followed his order. He regained his position on the hollow of her knees.

Luke pushed her shirt up again, and exhaled audibly when he saw her bra. He had hoped she would have taken it off while in the bathroom, but now this was his task. "Do you, um, want me to, uh, open your bra?", he asked shyly.

"Sure, you have better access", Lorelai said nonchalantly.

_How on earth can she be so fine with all of this?_ His fingers now were a bit damp, he was nervous, and his pulse quickened. He unclasped the bra, and Lorelai was relaxed and looking forward to his strong hands. Luke squeezed some lotion on his hands to warm it up a little, and then spread it on her back before he massaged her with long and gentle moves. Lorelai forced herself not to moan, but boy did she want to. His massage before had been more powerful, but also it was some kind of physical therapy. Now he was pampering her. "I'd like to book you for every Friday night. Those hands of yours would be so good to release all that tension I get from seeing my parents for two plus hours."

"You couldn't afford me. I get time and a half after nine. Wow, I sounded just like a prostitute, didn't I?"

"How should I know? I'd gladly stop eating out if that'd save the money I'd need to pay you. But wait, that means we'd only see each other in my bedroom. That'd be weird."

"Not weirder than this conversation", Luke said as he got some more lotion.

"Luke?"

"Yeah?"

"Could I moan, just a little, real quiet?"

"Really quiet, like I can't tell if it's you or a mouse nibbling on some cheese."

"Thanks. Mice moan while eating cheese? Please don't mention mice. Ahhh. So good, Luke."

"Shhh", he said.

Lorelai's skin felt very soft under the palms of Luke's hands. The flowery scented lotion soon ousted the minty scent of the ointment. He now massaged her shoulders until her t-shirt got in the way. "Could you pull it over your head?", Luke asked. "Hhm", Lorelai said, and got her t-shirt and straightened hair out of his way. "Better?", she asked. "Very", he replied and rubbed the lotion into her skin. Lorelai definitely didn't see it as physical therapy anymore. She enjoyed his touch, felt deeply relaxed, because for the first time in days she was practically painfree. Maybe that was the reason why she let him cross all the boundaries that were usually only crossed with boyfriends. As his fingertips grazed her collarbone for the third time, she couldn't ignore the heat that spread from center through her body anymore. "Aaahhh", she moaned, quickly adding, "Sorry, was that too much?"

"No, it's OK", Luke said, quickly pushing away his wish to hear her moan some more.

Of course Luke didn't want to stop her moans. But he didn't have a choice. It was tough enough for him to keep focused on his hands, and not see her beautiful back, smell her scent. Hearing her moans was killing him. He wanted to turn her around, massage her front as extensively as her back, see her face when he touched all the right places. Lorelai suddenly lifted her back a little, and pulled her bra out from under her with her right hand. "Sorry", she said, "it was bugging me a little."

Luke's heart now pounded against his chest. He didn't comment on the absence of the bra, but he certainly took a closer look at the pink satin cups that now lay next to her hip. _She's trying to kill me, that's for damn certain._

"The lotion's almost gone. If it's OK, I'd like to stop now."

"If you must", Lorelai groaned.

Luke moved his hands towards her sides to spread the residue. Lorelai twitched a little when he accidentally grazed the sides of her breasts. "Sorry, I didn't mean to...", Luke said blushing.

Lorelai had goosebumps all over her body. She hoped he had done it on purpose, but knew better. "Don't stop", she said with a lustful voice as she turned her entire body around and looked him sheepishly in the eyes. Luke held his breath and looked at her torso, he nipples already hardened. "You don't have to if you don't want to", she said calmly.

"I want to, believe me", Luke said while grabbing the lotion and squirting some more into the palm of his left hand.

Luke rubbed the lotion between his hands for a while and slowly lowered them on her body. He started on her collarbone, and with the lightest pressure, he moved his hands over the soft mounds of her breasts. "I know they're small", she said apologetically.

"They're perfect, Lorelai. Beautiful", Luke said with a nod.

"Can I moan now?"

He nodded again and smiled. She closed her eyes, and gave in to the sensation his touch was sending through her whole body. Her nipples were so hard, it was almost painful. He let his flat palms run over them. "Oh God, Luke", she said as he moved his hands from her breasts to her stomach. He cupped her breasts and carefully twirled her nipples. Luke leaned forward to kiss her awaiting lips. Lorelai pulled him close as her hands were roaming his back. They shared a passionate kiss, her hands were now tousling his hair.

Luke felt her soft breasts against his chest, and moaned into her mouth. Lorelai started to unbutton his flannel, and took off his t-shirt. He leaned back in to kiss her, and her nipples hardened again under the touch of his fine hair on her skin. Lorelai tried to take off her pants, and wiggled under him. Luke helped her, and freed her of her pants and socks. He once again reached for the lotion. He massaged her long legs, starting on her shins and working his way up to her thighs. Lorelai watched him, followed his eyes, got lost in his ridicuously long eyelashes. "Tongue, need your tongue", Lorelai said.

His fingers played with the waistband of her panties. His lips showered her abdomen with kisses, before his tongue followed the hem of her panties. He slowly pulled the elastic down her sides, and took them off completely. Luke waited for her to spread her legs, as he kissed his way up from her knees along the insides of her thighs. As soon as her knees parted, his mouth seeked her wet center. His tongue dipped between her folds, and circled her clit slowly. Lorelai brought her hands to her forehead and pushed her head deeper into the pillow. "Luke", she moaned. His massage has aroused her so much that she knew she wouldn't last long. The heat between her legs was too much to bear. His tongue felt cool in comparison.

Luke massaged her breasts, and she started to writhe under him. She pushed her hips up to intensify the friction. Her pants got faster, she moaned louder, and Luke had to steady her by the hips. "Jesus, Luke, oh God, oh God, I'm-", she screamed to the ceiling. He kept on licking her and made her come for a second time. She then took his clothes off, and straddled him. His big cock glided into her wet heat, and he moaned deeply. "Lorelai, you make me crazy", he whispered. "Same here", she said and started riding him. It felt incredible. He watched her as she squeezed her bouncing breasts. "Come here", he requested, and pulled her upper body down to his. "Luke, God, you're so hard", she groaned. He rubbed her ass, and took her nipple into his mouth. She soon and felt another orgasm approaching. She stopped her movements, and said, "I'm so sorry, I'm close again."

"Don't apologize, you make me so hot", he replied, and began to thrust into her. Lorelai held still, let him move under her, and tensed her muscles. He cirlced his hips, and thrust into her once again. She gave him a wet openmouthed kiss, and felt another wave of pleasure roll through her body. Luke felt her tighten around his cock, and emptied himself into her. She stayed on top of him, and he rubbed her back.

"I thought you said you didn't want to seduce me", Lorelai said.

"Who seduced who?"

"Whom."

"Who seduced whom?"

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about."

"You took off your bra, Lorelai."

"I had to. Your hands needed to be appreciated. It way lying weird, so it had to go. The rest of you is pretty spectacular as well, by the way."

"Thanks."

Lorelai rolled off of him, and they lay there for a while, caressing each other.

"I hate to say this, but I think you should leave soon. Rory's curfew is midnight. What time is it anyway?"

"Half past eleven."

"If it helps, I don't want you to go."

* * *

Luke left ten minutes later. He walked home through the crisp winter air. Before he set food in the diner, he saw Rory and Dean walking across the town square.

"Hey Luke", Rory said, "You're up late."

"Hi Rory, Dean. Yeah, actually I just got home from your mom. Her back's better now", he said and was glad that the darkness hid his pink cheeks from their eyes.

"That's good. Look! The door to Miss Patty's open!", Rory said.

"Oh, she must have forgotten to lock it up. I'll close it. Dean, you make sure Rory gets home OK".

"Sure, night Luke."

"Night Luke."

"Night guys."

* * *

**So, did you like it? I figured I'd use Luke to be the superhero, and since there was no Emily in my version of this episode, there'd be no need of drama or angst. **


	9. Firsts and Seconds

**Hi readers! Are you good? Thanks you so much for the lovely reviews, you're the best! I took the liberty and took a break from writing last week. I wrote this story because as a viewer of the show, I felt cheated. All the years of build-up, and then when Lorelai and Luke finally got together, we didn't get to see their important firsts. So here's my gift to you: an important first for Luke and Lorelai. Enjoy!**

* * *

**Firsts and Seconds**

"Oh God, Luke, that was, um, wow", Lorelai said, heavily panting.

"Incredible", he replied as he leaned over and kissed her.

"It still amazes me after those two months how good we are together", Lorelai said, and cuddled on his side, her head on his shoulder.

"Yeah, what a waste those 8 years have been. You look beautiful when you come, by the way."

"Thank you. You get so intense when we have sex. The only other situations you get so intense in are your rants. And believe me, it's not the same. I'm kinda glad you let me see that side of you."

"What side?"

"You know, you're so passionate, so turned on."

"I've never been so turned on, by anyone. Believe me."

"That's good to know", Lorelai stated while playing with the soft hair on his chest, adding, "So, um. Luke. I've been thinking. We've been going out for two months, and I, um, I kinda wouldn't say we're dating anymore", she said as she waited for his reaction.

"Yeah, I mean dating basically means getting to know one another. And we pretty much know everything there is to know."

"Exactly. We already know each other. Plus, we never were in the situation where you have to pretend to be someone else just to impress the other person, or to make them like you. Which is a very stupid concept if you ask me, because sooner or later you have to show your real self, and the person you're dating has to get used to the real you, which they might not like."

"I'm very glad we never had that phase."

"Me too. So the other day, I was just thinking how happy I am with you. And I don't mean just in the bedroom, I mean in general."

"Right. Me too", Luke said with a smile as he rubbed lazy circles on her bare back.

Lorelai turned to lie on her stomach, her fist under her chin, and her eyes set on his.

"The thing I've been thinking about is that we need to discuss birth control."

"Well, I think we're already taking care of birth control", Luke said with a shrug.

"I know, but maybe we should discuss other options."

"What options?"

"I think I want to go on the pill. What do you say?"

"Hmmm", he said as he pondered the thought. "I guess it's your decision."

"See, the thing is, I am very happy, in general, _and_ in the bedroom", she winked, "but I think I want to take the next step in our relationship. I know about the inflationary use of that term. And I'm not talking about moving in or anything, but honestly, I think it's time to have sex and not be careful."

"What do you mean?"

"What I mean is when you use condoms for birth control, you have to be careful, and there's always that awkward moment when you decide it's time to get the condom, put it on et cetera. Plus, I want to have sex with you in the shower."

"You want to have sex in the shower? I'm not 20 anymore!"

"Thank God! 20 means clumsiness, coming too soon, and more clumsiness. You're the opposite of 20, my friend. Anyhow, I was saying that I'd like to do things we at the moment can't do."

"Like?"

"Like me going down on you, sucking your cock until you come in my mouth, me kissing you afterwards before you go down on me-", Lorelai said before she was interrupted.

"Is it bad that I'm turned on by this?"

"No. It's just something I've been thinking about. This, and the fact that I really need to feel that soft skin of your gorgeous cock on my skin."

"Ok, officially turned on by this...", Luke said with an impish grin.

"Good", Lorelai said, and kissed him. "Hold that thought."

"For how long?", Luke asked with that deep sexy voice of his.

"Well, I have an appointment at my OB/GYN's office this Thursday, and I plan on getting a prescription for the pill."

"Forgive my ignorance, but how does it work exactly?"

"Well, I have to wait for my next period, and then start taking a pill every day. Birth control pills work from the first day, but actually, I would like to suggest to wait a month before we stop using condoms. Just to be on the safe side. Safe side, get it?", Lorelai asked playfully.

Luke chuckled, and planted a soft kiss on her temple. "OK, if you're OK with it, I'm OK with it."

"Good. I'm glad we talked about that."

"Me too. So, about the things you said...", Luke said with a smirk.

"The shower sex, or the skin contact?"

"The latter. Is that something you've been thinking about for a longer time?"

"Oh yeah, even before we were dating!"

"Really?", Luke said a bit shocked.

"Don't sound so surprised! I've been thinking about you! Especially after that dream where I was pregnant with your twins."

"Oh yeah?", Luke was suddenly interested.

"Well, yeah, I had this dream, and afterwards I was thinking about how we had to have sex, which led to several nights of imagining you on top of me, which led to thoughts about unprotected sex with you, which led to imagining your cock in me without a condom."

"Sounds complicated."

"Sounds hot as hell."

"That too."

* * *

"Hello?"

"Hey kid, listen, how's your schedule?", Lorelai asked.

"My schedule for what?"

"Do you think you have time to go shopping with mommy next week?"

"Sure. What do you need?"

"Well, I need a new dress for a special occasion."

"What's the occasion? Does grandma force us to go to one of those fundraisers again? Because, let me tell ya, I can't stand another night with those tiny portions of overcooked, under-sauced chicken!", Rory said.

"No, it's actually for a romantic night with Luke."

"Please tell me I don't have to go!", Rory joked.

"Now that you mention it, it might be fun to have you, my one and only loinfruit, with me when I dine with my boyfriend, and have nothing but sex on my mind.", Lorelai teased.

"Ewwww! I so did not need to know that. So, what's the reason for your romantic night with Luke?"

"We're taking our relationship to the next level."

"Are you guys moving in together already?", Rory asked astonished.

"No. Different level."

"Are you planning on declaring your love to him? How romantic!"

"No."

"Have you told him already?"

"No."

"Don't you think it's time? You guys have been dating for three months."

"Rory! I'm sure he knows how much I love him. I stopped using the cinnamon toothpaste when I spend the night over at his place."

"Sure, no cinnamon equals love", Rory stated sarcastically.

"I say it when I'm ready, OK. So, will you go shopping for a new dress with me?"

"Yeah, I'd love to go with you. Maybe we'll find a dress with 'I love you' written all over it. In different languages."

"You're cruel. Maybe we'll find something that he wants to rip off of me immediately."

"Right, that wouldn't be a waste of clothing, or inappropriate at all."

"Wednesday afternoon work for ya?"

"Works fine. Hey, you never told me the real reason for your romantic date."

"First condom-free sex, since I'm on the pill now."

"Now you're just trying to gross me out!", Rory squealed.

"Well, you asked."

"Mom, we've been through this, you have to filter your thoughts on their way to your mouth. Even for me."

"Ask me again."

"I really don't want to."

"Fine, see you Wedneday."

"Yes, see you then."

"Love ya, hon."

"Me too!"

* * *

Bits of sugar-cinnamon pretzels in her stomach, two shopping bags in her left hand, and her daughter hooked into her right elbow, Lorelai felt she pretty much had accomplished her tasks for the day. Luke had been given the assignment to pick a restaurant for Saturday night. In her head Lorelai was checking off her to do list. She had found a dress that was ready to be ripped off of her, and when Rory had gone off to Barnes&amp;Noble, Lorelai took the opportunity to buy something at Victoria's Secret for Luke to find underneath the dress.

The next things on her list were to get her a leg and bikini wax on Thursday, and a hair appointment on Friday. She was just in the middle of the shampooing when her mind wandered to Luke. After all Cindy's magic hands did something very close to sex, even when it was only sex for her scalp, she was enjoying it very much. Luke. She closed her eyes and sighed. Was Rory right? Was this the time to say 'I love you'?

Lorelai was sure that she did love Luke. A feeling of warmth spread from her heart through her body, until it reached the tips of her toes. It had been twenty years since she had last said those words to a man. Well, boy actually. Had she meant them then? She wasn't sure. She had been engaged to a man without ever saying those words. Lorelai was sure that that was because she hadn't loved Max, never loved Max the way you're supposed to love a man whose propoal you have accepted.

_Would I accept Luke's proposal? Of course! He so is the guy for me! _The corners of her mouth turned up.

"Lorelai?", she heard Cindy's voice.

"Hmmm?"

"You need to get up and move to your chair."

"Oh, sorry, did I just doze off?", Lorelai asked, rubbing her eyes.

"I guess you did. And according to the smile on your face I assume you had sweet dreams..."

* * *

Getting ready for a date undoubtedly was one of Lorelai's strengths. It was like a choreography she had exceled at over the last two decades. She didn't need any more practice, it was a routine that had become second nature to her. Luke had told her to be ready by seven, so naturally she started at five pm. She took a shower, applied conditioner, and used her fancy peony-scented shower gel from L'Occitane.

She briefly wondered what she'd do with her hair, but actually she knew all along. Very curly, Luke loved her hair very curly. Lorelai kneaded her hair while blow-drying it. When she was done, she looked in the mirror, realizing her hair was looking just like on Liz' wedding, only a bit shorter. Back in her bedroom, she looked at the little black dress hanging from the closet door. She put it on, and her feeling was confirmed. She looked good, it was a nice dress, sexy, slinky. Yet somehow, it didn't _feel_ right. She took it off.

Lorelai decided to put her make-up on first, and maybe then she'd have a better idea. She checked her alarm clock. Six thirty. OK, intuition, she needed to rely on her intuition. She stood in front of her closet, closed her eyes, inhaled deeply, opened the doors abruptly, and opened her eyes and let them fly over the colors and fabrics. _Oh yes, this is gonna work. _

Luke knocked on the door at five past seven. _Good boy. _Lorelai rushed downstairs, put her shoes on, and opened the front door.

"Wow, you, uh, you look..., stunning", Luke said with eyes wide open.

"Thank you, kind sir. You're not so bad yourself", she replied with a big smile. "Where are we going?"

"It's a new place. Fantastic cuisine, great chef, and I hear the place is really worth the travel", he answered.

"Intrigue", Lorelai said as they walked to his truck.

"I love the dress, Lorelai", Luke remarked and started the engine.

"I thought so. Actually, I bought a new one. But somehow it didn't feel right to wear it tonight. So as soon as I was done with my hair, I knew what to wear."

"Yeah, the curls look beautiful, you look beautiful", Luke said as he looked over to her. They shared one of those moments. They looked each other in the eyes, and the look said more than all the words they could ever exchange in a lifetime.

* * *

Luke hadn't lied when he said all those things about the place he'd take her that night. Lorelai was flabbergasted when she saw he was taking her where she had been three hours earlier: The Dragonfly Inn.

She was stunned when she then saw how much thought he had put into the entire evening. They were led to the back porch, where a single table was set next to an outdoor heater to fight the early October chill. There were flowers on the table, lilies, and candles on the porch rail.

"Luke, I, um, I don't know what to say", she said when the waiter had left.

"This night is special, Lorelai. And I thought about the other special night at the Dragonfly. When we first kissed. So I called Sookie and made the arrangements", Luke said as he held her chair for her to sit down.

"It's lovely", Lorelai said, still stunned, "So romantic."

"I thought you'd probably want to enjoy your inn for the first time, now that it's running for a few months. And speaking of romantic, I guess I'm not the only one who was reminiscing a bit, huh?"

"The dress? Well, yeah. As I was saying, once the hair was done, it was a no-brainer. The dress I wore to Liz' wedding was just perfect for tonight. It kind of was our first date, and I enjoyed every minute of it."

A waiter came, and served them champaign, and another waiter came with two small plates. "Compliments from the chef. Leaf of endive with shrimp in lemon butter."

The amuse bouche was followed by salad, a fish course, and pot roast, just like at the test run five months prior. When their plates were cleared, the waiter came on the porch, and said, "Sir, I'm terribly sorry to interrupt. But there is a phone call for you."

"Sorry, Lorelai, I'll be really quick", Luke said and went inside.

Lorelai used the time to reminisce some more. Here she was, wearing the pink dress, feeling just as nervous as she had when she first wore it. It was a different kind of nervous. The uncertainty had vanished. She let her view wander over the sloping hill behind the Dragonfly Inn. _Her_ Dragonfly Inn. The sun had set already, and if there hadn't been a heater next to them, the dusky pink shrug she was wearing wouldn't have kept her warm enough.

Luke came back after five minutes. "Sorry, again. It was Ceaser. My bread delivery guy had a question. I'm back now. Are you OK? You're not cold or anything?"

"I'm good, Luke. Really good", she said and turned that smile to full wattage.

"Good, I'm glad."

"So you went behind my back and talked to Sookie about this evening?"

"Yes."

"Did she ask what the special occasion was?"

"Well, yeah, but I didn't tell her the real reason."

"Oh, she knows!"

"What? Aw, geez! Lorelai, seriously?"

"Relax, Luke. She's my best friend. Of course she knows that I'm on the pill now. I didn't exactly tell her what tonight was about, but I'm sure she can imagine", Lorelai said with a wink.

After they had consumed their chocolate mousse for dessert, Tobin came outside.

"Good evening, Lorelai, Luke. I'm really sorry, but there seems to be a problem with the guests in room seven. Lorelai, could you come inside for a minute?"

"Tobin, it's my night off. I'm on a date."

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all", Luke said.

"I'm back in no time, OK. Sorry, hon", Lorelai said before she rushed inside after Tobin.

"Tobin, are you kidding me? What is so damn important?", Lorelai asked furiously as they climbed the stairs.

"I'm honestly sorry, Lorelai. It's just the guests in room seven..., well, just go in and see for yourself", he said appeasingly.

Lorelai stepped inside the room, and found no words for what she saw. There were candles everywhere, the fireplace was lit. She heard the door close behind her, before she felt his hands on her shoulders. Luke slid them down her arms, and closed them around her stomach. She shivered, and felt tears rising in her eyes.

"Oh, Luke, this is, un-unbelievable", she said, her voice thick with emotion.

He kissed her neck, and inhaled her peony perfume. "You like it?", he asked.

She turned around to look into his deep blue eyes. "It's perfect."

His lips landed on hers for a tender kiss. She blinked a couple of times. "Before this goes any further, I need to tell you something. I love you, Luke."

This time, he kissed her more passionately, and held her close to him. "I love you, too, Lorelai. So much."

She let her fingers run over his cheeks. "So, room number seven, huh?"

"Yeah, my room during the test run. You can't imagine the night I had. I was awake practically all night. Tossing and turning, because I was so scared you didn't want us to become a thing. I was so insecure. That kiss was spectacular, but afterwards there were so many mixed messaged, it drove me crazy. You drove me crazy. Still do."

"God, I hope in a good way", Lorelai said as she smiled to him.

"Good, bad, and in between", he said with a grin and kissed her again.

Her hands were buried in his hair, and she pushed herself into his body, hungry for his kisses. Her soft moans encouraged him to take off her sweater, as his hands carressed the newly exposed skin.

She parted her lips and invited in his velvety tongue. Lorelai threw her head back, and lightly pushed his head to her throat, where she needed to feel his lips. His lips left her mouth and trailed over her jaw to her throat where he placed hot, wet open-mouthed kisses on her skin, lightly sucking her. She closed her eyes. "Luke", she purred.

Lorelai now had her hands on his back where she felt his muscles under his darkblue shirt. She started walking backwards to the bed, and felt his fingers fumble on her back for the zipper of her dress. "It's on the side", she said between her moans. He nibbled on the skin over her collarbone. She started to unbutton his shirt when her calves hit the mattress.

She sat down, and he shrugged out of his shirt. Lorelai unbuckled his belt, and unzipped his pants. When they pooled at his feet, her fingers slid inside of his boxers, where they cupped his taut ass, before she pulled them down over his hips. She immediately took his semi-erect penis in her mouth, her hands on his ass pushed him into her mouth. Luke let out a deep guttural moan, and his eyes rolled back in his head.

His hands gripped her scalp firmly, as he inhaled through gritted teeth. "Oh God, Lorelai. So good", he growled. He took off the white t-shirt he had under his dress shirt. Lorelai's hands roamed his muscular chest and stomach, while her tongue swirled over the soft tip of his cock. Her right hand now worked the base of his shaft, her tongue licking and sucking the tip. Lorelai focused on her movements. Up. Down. Up. Down. God, did the soft skin over his hard member feel good. He suddently pulled away. Lorelai gave him a confused look.

"I don't want to get too excited", he said, and finally found the zipper. He urged her to stand up. He took his time undressing her, slowly pulling the zipper down. His still heaving chest indicated how much she had excited him.

Luke toed off his shoes, and let her dress slide down her body, where her bare breasts and pink panties were exposed.

"Is that what you wore under the dress at the wedding?", he asked with an impish grin as his eyes took a good look at her.

"Yes", Lorelai said, her skin prickling under his looks. "And I wanted you to take them off then as much as I do now."

His hands on her shoulders gently pressed her down on the mattress again. She laid back, and watched his long fingers stroking down her torso, over her breasts where her nipples hardened under his touch. "Ok, time to not be careful", she whispered, and grabbed him by his arms. She pulled him down to her, his hard cock dangerously close to her center.

Lorelai kissed him deeply, moaning into his mouth. Her hands were on his biceps, feeling the hard muscles flex under the soft skin. He tried to keep as much of his weight on his arms. His lips were moving over her cheeks, across her jaw, down her neck. Luke kissed each freckle on her chest. He nuzzled the delicate, creamy skin on the undersides of her breasts, before he let his tongue circle her areola a few times. He licked over the beaded nub. "Hmmmm", she moaned. His right hand gently squeezed her left breast, and he drew her nipple into his mouth and sucked it fervently.

Luke's tongue moved across the valley between her breasts, before he gave the other breast the same treatment. "Yes, Luke, oh my God, it feels so good", she purred. When moved further down, he rolled her nipples between his fingers and pinched them. Luke showered her stomach with kisses and let his tongue dip under the elastic of her panties a few times. Fueled by her louder moans, he took off her undergarment, and positioned his head over the apex of her legs.

"Luke, don't", she said.

"Why not?", he asked confused.

"I want you in me", Lorelai answered, her voice thick with desire.

"Lorelai, I need to taste you, I won't let you come yet, promise", he said and parted her outer folds with his tongue. He circled her engorged clit and then moved his tongue along her slit toward her entrance. He found her very wet, and hot. "You taste delicious", he said, and his breath on her sex gave her goosebumps on her entire body. She moaned loudly. Luke's tongue was back on her clit, where he gently suckled her. "Luke, now", she begged.

He obeyed, and left her sweet center. She moved to the center of the bed, her eyes showing reflections of the candles in the room. Luke sucked her nipples once again, and positioned his hard cock over her sex. He straightened up, and took his manhood into his right hand. Lorelai spread her legs, and looked him lustful in the eyes. He rubbed his tip along her folds, she closed her eyes, and moaned. "I love that", she said. "You feel absolutely amazing, oh God."

Luke moved his erection up and down her folds one more time, and his movements came to a halt over her opening. She opened her eyes again, giving him a nod of approval, and he entered her. "Ahhhh. Jesus, Lorelai. So tight", he commented on the heavenly feeling.

This first thrust sent a shockwave of pleasure into the last of her hair tips. Her wet center welcomed his large manhood as he began to thrust into her, long and deep thrusts. Both of them were getting used to the new sensation their skin contact sent through their bodies. The base of his shaft hit her clit every time he slid back in again. His hard cock was slick with her juices, and Luke couldn't help looking down at their joined bodies. Her moans got louder, her legs closed around his ass. Lorelai started pinching her nipples as Luke picked up the pace. "Look", he said to her. She followed to where his eyes went. She propped herself up on her elbows, and watched his big cock slide in and out of her. And in, and out, in, out.

Lorelai took his arms and pulled him down with her. He now lay on top of her, and she started to move with him. They rocked back and forth, and found and steady rhythm. Luke saw the fierce look on her face, and moved quicker. "Let go, I'm with you. Come with me, Lorelai", he said. She closed her eyes, and he could feel her inner muscles tighten around his cock. She writhed under him, and pulled him over the edge with her. She moaned his name over and over, until she felt the last wave of pleasure die down. His orgasm came in hot spurts, and he bit his lip.

"You're so beautiful, Lorelai", Luke said panting.

She gave him a smile. "I know you don't want to hear this, but you're beautiful, too."

Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

"Who's that?", Lorelai asked quietly.

"How should I know?", he replied.

"Hello? Who is this?", Lorelai asked, this time louder.

No answer.

"Hello?", Luke said.

"Go check", she told him.

Luke put on his boxers and t-shirt, and slowly opened the door. He stuck his head out the door, looked right, looked left. Lorelai heard him chuckle. When he came back in, he had a plate with snacks in his right hand.

"Sookie?", she asked.

"I bet", Luke answered as he came back to bed, where he gave Lorelai the plate. "Eat up, I want you to have enough energy for the next round."

* * *

**I hope you liked it! I'd appreciate your reviews. Have a nice weekend!**


	10. Hello and Goodbye

**AN: Hello, my beloved readers! How are you today? Still enjoying the smutty stories I write for you? Here's this week's chapter. Let's take a trip down memory lane, shall we?**

* * *

**Hello and Goodbye**

This time she came alone. She was drawn to the place. The place where it all had started. Lorelai had already said goodbye with Rory, but this wasn't the same. She had to come back to say goodbye alone. So here she was, not nearly six o'clock in the morning. It was going to be a beautiful, sunny day. Lorelai could tell. There were no clouds in the sky, the sun was just rising. One last time she walked through the lobby, taking in every little detail that was already filed away in her head.

The last time Lorelai had to say goodbye, it hadn't come as unexpected. And most of all, it hadn't meant as much to her as it did now. Leaving the Independence Inn behind probably was as significant as moving out of your parents' house is to most people. She held her arms close to her body, hugging herself to lessen the pain. Yet again, she felt the uncertainty that the future would bring. The big difference to then, almost 18 years ago, was that Lorelai had been so busy with work and bringing up Rory, that she hardly had given the chance of failing much thought. Now on the other hand, she felt like it was a real threat. One last look into the dining room, and Lorelai felt very sad. Seeing Mia's life's work in a state like this, it almost tore Lorelai apart.

Now came the hardest part. The potting shed. She had dreaded coming back there, put it off for as long as she could. She had even made up a sad little lie to convince Rory not to make one last trip down the slope.

She audibly exhaled, and shut the door of her home. Very slowly she walked down the path to the pond. It still looked so beautiful. The grass was higher than Mia ever would have allowed, but it still looked charming, and it was filled with so many memories. Some people were particularly proud of their first own car, even if it was just a clunker. Lorelai was just as proud of her first own home with Rory. Carefully, almost anxiously, she opened the door to the potting shed.

Lorelai heard the familiar squeaking of the door as she gave it a little push. She stood on the doorstep, her shoulder leaning on the frame. Images of a four year old Rory splashing water out of the bathtub were flashing before her eyes. She smiled softly. It had been such a carefree time. Soft summer nights at the pond with Sookie while Rory was sleeping on a blanket next to them, a couple of kisses with Pedro the pool boy after their one date in the year after she had come here.

The first step into the shed almost never happened. But just like she did with the door a few moments before, Lorelai gave herself a push and entered. She walked around the room and sat on the lone chair that stood where the bed used to be. She compared the room to the different states she had seen it in. At first, it was a usual potting shed with pots, soil in bags, and different fertilizers for the rose bushes, azaleas, and magnolias.

Gradually, it became a home for the young Gilmore girls. Mia had given them one of the Inn's beds when she had remodeled the rooms, a new potting shed for all the equipment was built a few yards away.

With a heavy heart she thought about how fast the years had gone by. In less than 24 hours she'd be in Europe with Rory. One of Lorelai's own dreams from her adolescence became one she had shared with Rory over the years, and many nights at the potting shed were spent imagining the many European cities they would visit some day. Lorelai had imitated the foreign accents and taken Rory on sightseeing tours. They only were so lucky to watch TV when the Inn had a couple free rooms, or when Mia wanted them safe and warm when the harsh Connecticut winters were too cold to be spent in a shed without insulation.

Lorelai stood up from the chair. With a sigh she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. She opened her eyes again and walked to the wall. She let her fingers wander over the rosebud wallpaper. A bittersweet smile crept over her lips.

"Goodbyes are the worst", she whispered.

"That they are", a male voice said.

Lorelai winced at hearing the voice of the intruder. She quickly turned around. "Luke? What are you doing here?"

"I, uh, went for a run, not really having a certain destination in mind. Um, I guess, I kinda wanted to end up here to say my goodbyes, too, you know."

Only then did Lorelai notice that he wasn't wearing jeans and flannel, but gray sweatpants and a darkblue hoodie instead. The hat was gone, too. He had on running shoes.

"Who's taking care of the diner?", she asked.

"Ceaser. He'll open today. It's my morning off", Luke replied, and entered the potting shed.

"You got up at what, 5:30 in the morning on your day off?", she wanted to know, her knitted brows showing how foreign that concept was to her.

"Well, yeah, it's 45 minutes later than I normally do. It's getting warmer outside, so I only get to do a run either early, or later at night."

"But it's early!", she remarked, her astonishment still very visible on her face.

"So I've heard. But hey, you're up as well", he said, hoping to learn more about her reason to be there.

"Rory's still asleep. I came back. Alone. We were here yesterday before the party at the Crap Shack. I wanted to say goodbye to the potting shed. Rory and I only went to the main building yesterday. I, uh, I think I didn't want her seeing me like this."

"I understand. Must be pretty tough on ya", he said with a worried, yet understanding tone in his voice.

"Harder than anything I have done in my life."

"So, when are you leaving?", he asked casually.

"We have to be at the airport at 2pm. And you?", she asked.

"I, uh, I'm actually staying", he said uneasily.

"You are? What about the cruise?"

"Um, I'm not going."

"Why?"

"Nicole and I broke up last night", he said, avoiding her eyes.

"Really? I'm sorry, Luke", Lorelai said as she took a step into his direction.

"It's OK. I actually intended to go, but then, she changed everything."

"What do you mean?"

"We were supposed to go on a cruise to Alaska, but then she changed it into a seven country cruise. Without even telling me. I mean, who does that? We've barely spent an entire night together, and now I'm supposed to spend two weeks with her on a ship heading to locations I didn't even pick?", Luke said, half-desperate, half-angry.

Lorelai watched him closely. She could comprehend the sentiment. "You think we've been too long on our own to live with someone? Have we lost the ability to let someone in?", she asked him, and herself.

She could see the wheels spinning in his head. "I don't know", he replied slowly. "To be honest, I think you're fine, but I'm not so certain about myself."

"How do you figure?", Lorelai wanted to know.

"It's just a feeling. You have Rory, you know how to live with someone, and how to make compromises."

"Well, I'm her mother, I do have a bit more power, and don't have to compromise."

"But that's not who you are. You always have treated Rory as an adult, she had her say, too."

"I guess. Why do you think it's too late for you? You lived with Jess after all", Lorelai remarked.

"Not much compromising there. He just left when he didn't like my decisions. You remember when Rachel was here, and you went shopping?"

"Yeah."

"Do you remember what I said after putting on the clothes you had bought for me?"

"You said that I liked my men all GQ-ed up", she said.

"Exactly. Now all I wear are those clothes. I even had to go to the mall by myself, and buy some more."

She looked at him with eyes like saucers. "You went to the mall?"

"Yes, so?"

"I'm sorry. _You_ went to the mall?"

"That's what I just said", he said annoyed. "Lorelai, I didn't feel like myself around her. Wearing black slacks, going to musicals, going on a cruise? That's not me. Why couldn't she love me for who I am?", he asked sadly.

"Oh Luke", Lorelai said, closing the distance to him, pulling him in for a hug. He hugged her back, letting his head fall onto her shoulder.

As they both let go, Lorelai said to him, "I know how you feel. I mean, I made an effort to learn to fish, just because I didn't have the balls to say to the guy that I'm not an outdoorsy person. I was desperate for a date, and lied to him, Luke. You just changed your appearance. And just to be clear, you do look good in any clothes."

He pretended he didn't hear her last comment, and asked, "Are you still seeing him?"

"Alex? No. We didn't exactly break up. It just happened. He didn't call, I didn't call", Lorelai added with indifference.

They both fell silent for a long while. Luke walked around the room, looking closely at the walls. Lorelai walked to the door, facing the pond.

"It looks so peaceful", she said as her eyes went over to the pond. She steppeed out, Luke followed her with long, slow strides.

"Grass is a little high", he commented.

"Yeah."

"Did I ever tell you about the time when I first mowed the lawn here?", Luke asked, turning towards her.

"You mowed the lawn here?", Lorelai asked astonished.

"I think I was 16, summer break before my junior year. I was desperate to buy a car, and my dad told me if I found a summer job, he'd match what I'd make", he said, replaying the conversation in his head.

Lorelai nodded, curious to learn more about his past.

"So, I came to Mia to ask her if she had a job for me. Of course my dad had already asked her, but she played hard to get with me. I guess she was havin' a little fun, but in the end, she laughed, and said that the job was mine."

Lorelai smiled. "Well, unlike me, you didn't have a cute one year old on your hip to persuade Mia."

Luke replied her smile. "I guess not. I recall coming into the potting shed to get the lawn mower. After three months I could buy a '60s Buick."

"Wow, I can't picture you in anything else than your truck. It kind of defines you, or part of you", Lorelai remarked.

"Wanna walk around the pond?", he asked.

"Sure, I still got a little time before I have to do some last minute packing", she said.

"And by last minute you mean you haven't started yet, right?", he said with a knowing grin.

"You know me too well", Lorelai answered as she started walking to the pond.

"Did you ever wonder why Mia never introduced us? You and Rory lived like what, nine or ten years here before we even met?"

"Mia once told me about a friend's son she was going to visit, but that he was way too old for me. Years later, I figured it had to be you. Rory and I were very isolated at the inn. We lived in our little corner of the world. It wasn't until Sookie started working at the inn about five years later that I finally had a real friend. She had a car, and us three girls started to go out a little bit. She sometimes drove us to Hartford to my parents or let me borrow it when Chris was in the area. I only got to take an interest in the town when Rory started school, and later when we bought our house. I guess a single mom and the town loner ran in very different circles", she said with a smile.

"Hey!", he said as he bumped his hip into hers. "I'm not the town loner. And I'm not that much older than you either!"

"I know, but I was like 22 when Rory started school. Did you want to befriend a single mom when you were 27? 27 year old single guys are sowing their wild oats!"

"Yup, sounds just like me. I was a regular Don Juan", he remarked sarcastically.

Lorelai giggled at the thought. They walked the rest of the way in silence, each deep in their own thoughts. When they had circled the pond, and were back in front of the potting shed, they faced each other.

"I better get going. So, I guess that's it, the end of an era", Lorelai stated, her eyes flooded with sadness.

"Definitely the end of an era. Come here", he said and hugged her. "You take care of yourself and Rory, OK?", he mumbled in her hair. He placed a kiss on her temple. Lorelai deeply inhaled his familiar scent.

"You're not even sweaty", she said.

"What?", he said with knitted brows, loosening the grip around her arms and back.

"You said you went running. It's like two miles from the diner to the inn, and you're powder dry!"

"Guess what, I didn't do it for the first time. I have some stamina!", he defended himself.

"Dirty!", she joked.

"You're nuts. I'm gonna miss you", Luke said, and surprised himself by planting a soft kiss on Lorelai's lips.

She blinked a few times, trying to get accustomed to the swarm of butterflies in her stomach. She got up on her tiptoes, and gave him a peck on the lips. Luke looked her in the eyes, and wet his lips with his tongue. Lorelai watched the action, then cupped his neck to pull him down a little, and pressed her lips once again on his. This time she let her tongue trail around his soft lips until he granted her access to his mouth. Lorelai carefully and slowly let her tongue enter his mouth. She moaned softly at the sensation of the velvety feeling. Luke opened his mouth wider to deepen the kiss, his hands slowly claiming her back.

When they parted for oxygen, Lorelai swallowed, then said, "You're perfect the way you are."

Luke let the words sink in. "Far from it."

"Maybe I should rephrase it then. Perfect for me?", she asked shyly.

His heart pounded against his chest. "God, I hope so", he said and pulled her body against his. He kissed her passionately. When Lorelai opened her eyes after a while, she blinked heavily. The sun had risen, and warmed the air. She opened her jacket and Luke could see her pajama top underneath. Wordlessly, they took off their clothes, shared hungry kisses, and explored each other's bodies. "Are you sure about this?", Luke asked with a hint of doubt in his voice.

Lorelai nodded, knelt down, and arranged their shedded clothes on the grass. She lay down, and tugged on his arm, signaling him to join her. Luke lay next to her, and showered her entire body with soft, tender kisses. When her moans became louder, and the touch of his hands on her sex and her breasts became too much to bear, Lorelai buried her hands in the moist grass above her head. "I need you now, Luke", she said, her voice thick with desire.

"I can't believe this", he replied.

He positioned his erection over her entrance, and kissed her gently. She moaned softly as he slid his manhood into her wet heat, her hands firmly wrapped around his biceps. "I can't believe how good you feel", she said as she kissed the tip of his nose.

Luke's thrusts were long and slow, savoring each moment inside of her tight walls. He groaned everytime he reentered her, feeling overwhelmed by the feeling of her warm sex. "My god, Lorelai", he said between his pants. Fueled by her moans, he picked up the speed a bit. Soon he felt her walls becoming tighter, and he let his own orgasm build up. Lorelai ripped out the grass above her head, chanting his name. He saw her eyes clouded with lust, and let her walls stimulate him until he followed her over the edge. She whimpered when he pulled his half-flaccid penis out.

"I'm gonna miss you too", she said, adding, "You know, you could come to Europe with us. Ceaser doesn't know you're staying, right, and I'm sure it won't matter to him where you're going."

"Maybe. Let me think about it. So does it mean you want us to be together?", he asked hesitantly.

"It most certainly does. Wow, I never thought I'd ever have sex outdoors", she said, shaking her head.

"Are you an outdoorsy person after all?", Luke asked impishly.

"For sex like that? Definitely!", Lorelai replied with a smirk.

* * *

**Did you enjoy it? Then leave me a review. Reviewers are my favorite readers. I probably won't be able to post a one-shot, or a new chapter for my story It's About Time in the next week. We have a death in the family, and I'll be gone for the funeral. Anyway, have a nice weekend!**


	11. My Fair Gentleman

**Hi everyone! It's been a while, and I'm fully aware of that. As a reward for your patience I present my longest chapter so far. I have never been to Maine, or the US for that matter, so all I could rely on was the internet for this chapter. And my dirty mind, of course. Unlike Lorelai, I don't speak Renaissance, so forgive my smattering. Now, enjoy the chapter. My advice for you: Try this at home!**

* * *

**My Fair Gentleman**

Since when was Lorelai Gilmore considered a patient person? Yet here she was, six long hours to go. That is eight years, five weeks, and six hours. The first two weeks came and went fast, and she was glad they did. She had her hands full with the Inn. There were a thousand little details that she had to take care of, thankfully the kitchen was not one of them. She could rely on Sookie one hundred per cent. In the third week, she actually thought he'd come back, but he didn't. In the fourth week, Lorelai had a feeling in her gut that he'd surprise her and all the talk about Hay Bale Bill was just made up.

When both Sookie and Michel had suggested she'd take a few days off, she instantly denied it. But Michel wanted to prove that he could manage without her. Then the longing came. The phone calls simply weren't enough. Lorelai was close to freaking out in front of the guests because of a spot on the floor the maids always missed. She couldn't do without her daughter _and_ Luke at the same time, not after that kiss. Not after finding out that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. When she had admitted to Sookie that she was afraid he had changed his mind, a secret meeting was arranged. Sookie had talked to Michel and Tobin, and they had agreed to hire someone who would fill in for Michel at the front desk while he would manage the things Lorelai normally does.

Then Sookie had cooked her scrambled eggs with summer truffles, and told her that everything would be taken care of. Lorelai listened, ate, closed her eyes, savored the peatiness of the truffles, felt the silky texture of the eggs. She chewed slowly, and as soon as her eyes opened, she said, "Yes, I'm going. I have to see him, Sookie. It doesn't mean that I'll be relaxed on the trip. Au contraire, my friend, I'll be calling like a crazy person."

"Lorelai, call as many times as you like. I understand that. I know I'd be going nuts if someone else was running my kitchen. But I can't stand to see you like that anymore. You're my best friend, and if it weren't for you, Jackson and I would have gone on one date, and then nothing. So, please, let me do this for you and Luke. I can feel it here", she said as she held her hand to her heart, "I can feel that you're meant to be together."

"From your lips to God's ear", Lorelai remarked as she pulled her best friend close for a hug. "I better go to my office and do a little research..."

That was two days ago. Lorelai smiled as she thought about that conversation. She was sleepy, nothing unusual this early. She leaned her head against the window, and emptied her coffee in one last greedy gulp. Lorelai checked her cell phone clock, and dialled.

"Hello?"

"Is it too early?", Lorelai asked carefully.

"Lorelai, God no. I'm wide awake. Davey woke me up an hour ago. Yes, you're a hungry little boy, yes you are, yes you are", Sookie cooed to the boy on her arm.

"I'm glad."

"So, where are you right now?", Sookie wanted to know.

"I'm somewhere between New London and Providence, almost 90 minutes to Boston", Lorelai replied.

"That's where you change trains, right?"

"Yes. From Boston it's a good two and a half hours to Portland. But I brought something to read. Listen, Sookie, I need your advice. I have an hour to kill in Boston, and I thought I'd call Chris to see if he has time for a cup of coffee."

"Really? Wouldn't that be weird?", Sookie asked stunned.

"Why?"

"I don't know. How would you explain why you're taking the train to Maine?"

"You're right", Lorelai nodded, "He's probably busy anyway. So, OK, don't wanna keep you from your motherly duties, kiss the baby, and call if there's anything wrong at the inn, OK?"

"You bet, bye sweetie", Sookie said and hung up.

Lorelai took the book out of her purse and started reading. It had been a couple of years since she had last read the Great Gatsby. Thirty pages into the novel, she was interrupted by "Next stop Providence, Rhode Island". She decided to leave the world of East Egg and West Egg be, and closed her eyes for a while.

When Lorelai woke up, the train was empty, she startled, and looked out the window. Boston Back Bay. _Shit! _She quickly grabbed her purse, stuffed her book inside, and took her suitcase. She looked for a clock on the tracks, and saw that she had been in Boston for 20 minutes already. She ran, or at least walked as fast as she could with her luggage, outside the building, and took a cab to North Station, her heart racing the entire time, partly from the exhaustion, partly with pure fear to be late. Only a quick 10 minutes later, she entered North Station, and checked the departure timetable. _Phew_, she still had a 20 minute buffer. She bought the largest cup of coffee, and a few snacks, and walked to her track.

As the hot brown liquid soothed both her throat and soul, she could feel the butterflies in her stomach fluttering from the anticipation that controlled her every thought. In three hours she'd be with Luke, finally. Eight years, five weeks, and three hours. For the life of her, she didn't know how she could survive the next 180 minutes. But oh, that kiss. Kisses, actually. His hard body pressed against hers. Luke didn't just kiss her with his mouth, it was all of him. A few years back, Lorelai had read in a magazine how many facial muscles there were involved in a kiss. Was it 50, 80, or 100? Who knew? She was convinced that with their kisses, all of their muscles in their whole bodies were involved.

* * *

Thirty minutes before her arrival in Portland, Lorelai went to the bathroom to check her hair and make-up. She was very nervous and the shaking train didn't exacty help when she applied the last touches to her face. Back at her seat, she called the inn where she has booked a room to confirm her last minute reservation.

"Next stop Portland, Maine", Lorelai heard the voice from the speakers say. Her heartrate went up another 20 beats per minute. She rubbed her sweaty palms on her jeans, breathed in, and stood up. Finally, the train stopped and she practically fell out.

_What now? _Lorelai rummaged through her purse to find her phone. She walked to the exit of the station in Portland.

"Hello?"

"Hiya, whatcha doin'?", she sing-sanged.

"Hi Lorelai! I have just sold three pairs of earrings", Luke said proudly.

"Look at you! You totally embrace the jewelry thing", Lorelai cooed.

"Well, Liz and TJ couldn't even put the stuff in the little bag thingies."

"Thingies? Did you just say thingies?", she asked amusedly.

"Shut up! So, what's new with you?", he asked.

"Well, I was just strolling through town, and I, I missed you."

"I miss you too", Luke said saidly.

"Yet no plans to return to the Hollow?", she asked.

"I hope to be home by the end of the week."

"Me too. Listen, I gotta go. But maybe we could talk some more tonight?"

"I'd like that. I call you later, OK?"

"Perfect. Talk to you then", Lorelai said and hung up.

She took a cab, and briefly considered bringing her luggage to the hotel, but then dismissed the idea. She needed to see Luke. Now. For the first time in five weeks, they were in the same state, and now she didn't want to waste any more time.

15 minutes later, she couldn't believe she was finally there: the Renaissance Fair. The fair was bigger than she had thought, so after a few minutes of aimless wander, she decided to ask someone for directions.

"Excuse me, kind sir, where might I find Lady Elisabeth's Jewelry?"

"Mylady, taketh the second alley after the fruit ice booth", a man replied.

"My eternal thanks to you, my lord", she said with a bright smile.

Lorelai quickly followed his directions, unable to hide her smile, her heart pounding in her chest.

When she finally stood in front of the booth, she saw Luke's back. She cleared her throat.

"Beautiful jewelry", she remarked nonchalantly, adding, "Do these earrings come in blue, too?"

Luke thought he was hallucinating. It sounded just like Lorelai's voice. He quickly turned around and saw her familiar face. "Lorelai", he whispered.

He walked around the booth, not believing his eyes.

"If Mohammed won't come to the mountain...", she said.

He pulled her close for a tight hug, and deeply inhaled, his face buried in her hair. "I can't believe you're here! How, how did you get here?"

"I took the train", she answered.

"The train? The train takes forever!", he said, still unable to believe she really was in his arms after five long weeks.

She loosened the grip, but couldn't take her eyes off of him.

"Well, I figured that if I had taken my car, we'd be forced to drive back separately. Because I'm not leaving without you, mister! So I gladly rode the train for over five hours if it means three more hours with you in your truck on our way back. Besides, on the train, I could read, and watch the countryside", she said with a smile.

"Yeah, two of your favorite things", he deadpanned.

"I missed you so much", Lorelai remarked, and hugged him once more. "So, what now?"

"Here, let me", he said as he took her luggage to bring it behind the booth. "Liz?", he yelled.

"Yeah, big brother?", said a voice from behind the curtain.

"Can I leave you two alone for a while?"

"Sure. Why?"

"I have a visitor", Luke explained.

"Who is it?"

"It's Lorelai."

"It's Lorelai! Huzzah!", Liz yelled, and the huzzah was echoed by TJ, then by the other renaissance people.

Liz appeared, and limped towards the couple, then hugged Lorelai. "I knew it was you!", she said, adding, "He always had that dumb grin on his face after hanging up!"

Luke and Lorelai said their goodbyes to Liz, and Luke started to show her the fair with its booths, stands, and characters.

"Did I tell you about Bill?", Luke asked.

"'Hay Bale Bill'? No. Spill!", she requested.

"He crawled in a tent with 'Grog Booth Annie'."

"No way!", Lorelai replied.

"He did."

"But she's engaged to the fruit ice guy!", Lorelai said, appalled.

"It's not gonna last."

"Speaking of which-", Lorelai started, but was cut off.

"Speaking of which? You're not gonna tell me we're not gonna last, right? We haven't even started yet!", Luke said, freaked out.

"Calm down! I was talking about Kirk!", she defended herself.

"Oh no! Kirk and Lulu broke up?"

"What? No! Boy, you're premature in Maine! I was gonna ask you if you heard from Kirk."

"Are you kiddin'? He sends me weekly updates about the healing process of his butt."

"Ick!"

"No kiddin'. Fortunately, he stopped adding pictures."

"How did he get your number anyway?"

"That's what I'd like to know."

"You don't think he took my phone when I left my purse on the counter and went to the bathroom, do you?"

"Have you _met_ Kirk?", Luke asked surprised.

"Point taken."

"Can I buy you a fruit ice?"

"Sure."

They walked in companionable silence for a while, partly because Lorelai's mouth was occupied, partly because they just wanted to enjoy each other's company.

"So, how did he hide it from Lulu? His butt, I mean", Luke said.

"Oh, if I didn't know better, I'd say he did this entire rose bushes thing on purpose to prove how good his organizational skills are. East Side Tillie told Patty that Kirk somehow convinced Lulu to be celibate for two months", Lorelai started to explain.

"But why on earth did he start writing a column in the Stars Hollow Gazette about his healing process? Wouldn't Lulu find out that way?", Luke asked with a frown.

"Yes, that's an interesting story. Kirk started buying every single issue of the Gazette in the past five weeks", Lorelai said as she finished her fruit ice.

"What on earth does he do with all that wastepaper?", he asked, the astonishment visible from his features.

"Kirk wouldn't be Kirk if he hadn't use for the paper. He now has a fish stand in front of Doose's. That way he can wrap the fish in the paper", Lorelai stated as they walked through the alleys and looked at the booths.

"How was the ice?"

"Delicious. Just what I needed. In case you were wondering. Lulu's fourth grade does this newspaper project where they learn about the layout and other stuff. Normally, the school uses the SH Gazette, but Kirk convinced Lulu to use the Hartford Courant this year, to show how a bigger paper works."

"This guy is unbelievable. First he creates a problem, then he involves everybody in town to keep it under Lulu's radar!", Luke snorted.

They were back in front of Liz's booth.

"I still can't believe you're here", Luke said with eyes wide open.

A smile crept in Lorelai's face. "Well, after your kiss and run, you left me cold turkey. I had to come back for more."

Luke's pulse quickened. They hadn't kissed since she showed up in Maine. He had been overwhelmed by her appearance, and he wasn't used to kissing her, so he had only hugged her so far. He put his arms around her waist and leaned in, their faces just centimeters apart.

"Are you gonna kiss me now?", Lorelai asked. He just nodded as he swallowed. "You're so incredibly predictable", she mumbled seconds before their lips met.

The kiss was gentle, like they were testing the waters. Lorelai slightly parted her lips to grant him access to her mouth. Luke's tongue tickled her upper lip before he explored the velvety feel of her tongue. She quietly moaned and pushed her body closer to his, her arms stroking his broad shoulders.

"So I didn't make it all up", she remarked after they had stopped kissing.

"Made what up?"

"My memory didn't fool me or anything. Yor _are_ a very good kisser", Lorelai said as the corners of her mouths went up.

He slightly blushed and he returned her smile. He let his thumb move over her lips.

"You have very soft lips", he said simply.

"Can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure."

"Could you drive me to my hotel? I'd like to get rid of my luggage and maybe take a nap. I got up at 4.30 this morning, and didn't get much sleep on the train."

"Of course. Where is it?"

"In Freeport."

Luke got her luggage, and they walked to his truck. "So, what would you like to do tonight?", he asked.

"I'd very much like to go on a date with you, Burger Boy."

"I'd like that too. What do you have in mind?"

"Surprise me. I surprised you by showing up here, now it's time for you to surprise me", she stated.

They drove for a while in companionable silence, when Luke dropped her off, he asked, "Pick you up at seven?"

"Dress code?"

"Black tie optional", he deadpanned. "What do you think? I didn't exactly bring date clothes. So casual?"

"OK. See you later", she said and pecked his lips before she entered the inn.

After she had checked in, she dropped on the bed, and with a smile on her face, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Lorelai woke up four hours later, just in time for her to get ready for the date. After her shower, she chose her denim shorts that ended halfway down her thighs, and a turquoise sleeveless v-neck top. She checked her look in the mirror. _Maybe that's a little too casual. _She grabbed her black shrug, and put on strappy sandals with three inch heels. She wore her hair down and curly and approvingly nodded to her reflection in the mirror.

Luke was already waiting for her in the hotel parking lot. When he spotted her, he got out of the car to open the door for her.

"You look beautiful", he remarked as she stood next to him.

"Such a gentleman", she replied and gave him a warm, moist kiss on his stubbly cheek.

The had dinner at a small Italian restaurant, where the grilled vegetables, and the saltimbocca not only filled their stomachs, but also painted smiles across their faces. Afterwards, they drove to a drive in theater.

"Wow, it's been ages since I've been at the drive in!", Lorelai said.

"Me too. I thought it's still so warm out, that it'd be a good idea. Better than a crowded movie theater where the air conditioning is too cold", he explained with a shrug.

"Good choice. So, what are we watching?", she asked.

"The Day After Tomorrow."

"No, I mean now, what are we watching _now_?"

"That's the name of the movie."

"You're kidding!"

"I thought _you're_ the movie freak", he said.

"Do you know where I've been for the three months? The Inn, that's where. Day and night. I don't know what's going on in the world, let alone the world of cinema", Lorelai said matter-of-factly.

The movie started and Lorelai moved over to Luke and put her head on his shoulder. Nothing and nobody in his life could have prepared him for this. The scent of her hair, her perfume, the heat of her face emanating from her skin. Thirty minutes into the movie, she started to play with the buttons of his dark blue dress shirt. He had congratulated himself that he had brought it to Maine in the first place, although is was only because he doesn't own an unlimited number of flannels, and simply packed almost everything that was hanging in his closet.

Lorelai's fingers found their way under his shirt without opening a single button. She found his bare skin, no undershirt. Luke held bis breath, and closed his eyes. Her fingers played with the soft hair on his chest, and he could barely stand the shivers her touch sent through his entire body.

"What are you doing?", he asked, puzzled.

"Watchin' a movie", she replied nonchalantly.

"I meant with your fingers."

"Oh that?", she asked innocently, her fingers still busy. "Just checkin' if you're dressed casually."

"Stop it!", he demanded.

"Why?"

"Because I can't focus on the movie, if you keep doing... that!", he spat.

"Don't like what I'm doing?", she asked him, and sat up.

"I like it. A lot. But are you sure it's not too soon?"

"Too soon for what?", she asked innocently.

Luke loudly exhaled. "We're two grown-ups on our first date, and we've known each other for years, eight years to be exact. And you smell incredible, and grope my chest, and I can't think clearly anymore. That's all it takes, Lorelai. Your presence, and a few innocent touches", he explained while he gestured.

"I'm sorry", she said sheepishly. "I just can't not touch you, Luke. I've waited so long for you to return. I don't think it's too soon. You can't kiss me like that, twice might I add, disappear, and expect that I don't think of you that way."

"What way?"

"In a sexual way!", she said, losing her patience.

They were silent for a while.

"Does that scare you?", she then asked quietly.

"I thought about you too. And yes, it scares me a little", he admitted.

"But why?"

He thought for a moment, weighing how he could put it, and not sound like a total wuss.

"Because I, too, have waited a long time to be here. _Longer_ than five weeks, Lorelai. And I'm afraid that I could fuck this up if I do something wrong. I'm afraid I move too fast, or too slow, or we don't click, you know, sexually. Now that I know you thought about... it, too, I don't want to disappoint your expectations."

"Luke, look at me", she said as she took his right hand and kissed his knuckles. "You can't disappoint me. You can't do anything wrong. I want you so much, and I don't want to wait any longer. Look at you! You just have to change your shirt, and look completely different, and sexy as hell. I hate that men don't have to do much to look fabulous. So please, let me touch you. I really want to touch you", she pleaded.

"I really want to touch you, too", he said reassuringly, adding, "So, you wanna leave?"

"Yeah, it's a crappy movie anyway."

"Since when does that stop ya?", he asked with a smile.

She simply smiled. He knew her, this man just knew what he was dealing with. Yet he was scared that he could do anything wrong. Hadn't he realized that they were such a good match? Has he forgotten that he was the one she was standing next to under that chuppah? She should have known then, that it was a sign. Luke started the engine, and they drove off.

After a few miles, he said, "I know this is the worst line in the history of the planet, but I have to ask this."

"What?"

"Your place or mine?"

Lorelai chuckled. "Well", she started, "I need more information. Where are you staying?"

"In a motel."

"My place it is."

Now it was his turn to chuckle. "Good, I know the way."

Back at Lorelai's hotel room, she vanished into the bathroom. Luke turned on the bedside lamp, sat down on an armchair and propped up his feet on the ottoman that sat in front of it. He closed his eyes, and tried to relax. She came out of the bathroom barefoot and without her sweater, walked to him, and placed a kiss on his closed eyelid. He startled a little, surprised by the kiss.

"I have always wanted to do this", she stated.

"Do what?"

"Kiss your eyes, feel your long lashes on my lips."

He took her by her wrists, and pulled her close. She had no other choice than to straddle his thighs. Luke buried his hands in her thick curls, and pulled her head close for a slow, deep kiss. A moan escaped her throat.

"I have always wanted to do this", Luke repeated her words.

"Do what?", she whispered.

"Kiss your luscious lips, make you moan, taste your tongue. I wanna taste you everywhere, Lorelai", he said with a deep voice.

Luke took her right wrist, and kissed it the inside of it. He let his tongue trail along the inside of her forearm. When he reached the crook of her arm, he blew air over the wet trail he had left, giving her goosebumps. He gave an open-mouthed kiss on the crook of her arm, sending a hot wave of pleasure through her veins that ended in her very core and released a surge of her juices. Just when she thought that the sweet torture was over, he gave the other arm the same treatment.

He then traced her neckline with his finger where his eyes could sneak a peek of the tiny pale pink bow on the center of her bra, and kissed her waiting mouth passionately. Their tongues performed a sensual dance as they duelled for control. Luke let his palms wander from her shoulder blades down her back, and they settled on her butt cheeks. He pulled her closer, and his mouth left hers to kiss her neck. He drew her delicate skin into his mouth, and suckled. She tasted sweet with a hint of saltiness.

A loud groan left her throat when he came closer to her collarbone. He loved that sound. It only fuelled him more to taste every last inch of her creamy skin. Luke moved his hands from her ass to her stomach, then upward where they cupped her breasts. His tongue dipped under the fabric of her shirt as his thumbs brushed over her nipples. He could feel them hardening through her bra and shirt. Luke took the hem of her shirt, and pushed it up. She lifted her arms, and pulled the top over her head. Her hands were now back on his head. To Lorelai's surprise, Luke also opened the clasp of her bra, and with a shrug of her shoulders, it slid down her arms.

Then he leaned back, and looked at the newly exposed skin. "Beautiful", he mumbled.

Luke came closer to her, and kissed the valley between her breasts. His tested the weight of her breasts with his hands. His tongue circled the areola of her left breast, until he drew the nipple in his mouth where he suckled it fervently. Lorelai drew in a breath through gritted teeth at the sensation of his tongue on her sensitive bud.

"Luke", she whispered.

"Mmmmh."

"This feels so good. Don't stop", she groaned.

He lost himself in the softness of her mounds, crowned with the hardness of her erect nipples, and showered her breasts with kisses, nibbled, and suckled her aching flesh. Luke could feel her hot sex through the fabric of both their jeans.

"Wanna move this to the bed?", she asked, her voice thick with desire.

They stood up, and Lorelai unbottoned his shirt. He opened the fly of her shorts, and pulled them down with her panties. Unpatiently, she fumbled with his pants. He opened the zipper, and her fingers hooked into the waistband. Lorelai undressed him completely, and he toed off his boots and socks. They moved to the bed, and she gave him a little push. He landed on the mattress, and took her with him.

Finally, it was her turn to explore his body. She kissed him, and stroked his muscular chest. She rolled his flat nipples between her thumbs and forefingers until they were hard. Her fingertips followed the fine line of hair down his abs. Then her right hand took the base of his long erection, and she started stroking him. A deep moan left his throat. "Lorelai", he groaned. She brought her tongue to the tip of his cock, and circled it. "Jesus, Lorelai", Luke said. Her tongue traced the thick vein on the underside of his manhood, before her lips closed around his shaft. She sucked the steel wrapped in satin, while she still stroked the base of his shaft with her right hand in a tantalizing tandem. Her left hand played with his balls.

"Stop", he begged.

"What's wrong?", she asked insecurely.

"I don't want to... yet."

She admired his self-restraint, and voiced an understaning "Oh."

He pulled her up, and kissed her deeply. She straddled his knees, but he pulled her further up still. Luke scooted down, until he had her waiting sex over his face. He pushed her knees apart, and looked at the pink flesh, glistening with her juices. He flicked his tongue against her folds, and bared her swollen bundle.

"Oh God", she chanted.

Luke firmly cupped her ass to hold her above his head. Lorelai gripped the headboard of the bed, as he drew her clit into his mouth. His tongue traced along her slit to her entrance, as he drank in her juices. "Delicious", he moaned.

Lorelai lost all control and spread her knees wider apart, and rode his face. She knew she'd soon reach the point of no return, and lifted herself up from his head. His hands on her ass pushed her back down.

"I want to taste you when you come", he murmured.

She gave in, and pressed her sex against his lips. He took her clit between his teeth, and flicked his tongue against it.

"Luke", she said loudly, "so good, so fucking good, oh, don't stop."

Lorelai cupped her breasts, and Luke watched as she twirled her nipples with her fingers. She could feel her orgasm quickly building. Luke started groaning, and the vibrations intensified the pleasure his mouth gave her. "Oh God, Luke, I'm gonna... I'm", she screamed as she came hard.

He kept licking her until she came back to earth. She panted heavily. Suddenly, his face was gone from under her, and she looked over her shoulder. He knelt behind her, and roughly massaged her breasts with his long fingers. Luke gave open-mouthes kisses to the back of her neck, and his left hand on the small of her back lightly pushed her forward. He held her hip as he positioned the tip of his cock over her entrance. He leaned forward and let his tongue glide down her spine.

"I want you, Lorelai", he whispered in her ear.

"Take me", she replied.

He plunged into her, and let out a deep guttural moan when he felt her hot wetness close around his hard cock. "Christ, you're tight", he moaned.

Luke pulled his manhood out, and slid it back into her heat. He thrusted into her with slow deliberation. "I want this to last forever", he said.

"God, yes", Lorelai groaned, as she got used to the girth of his cock. "You feel incredible, Luke."

Hearing her say his name when she was this aroused made him even harder. He picked up the pace, and couldn't take his eyes off of their connection, his cock slick with her juices. He noticed how she moved her hand between her legs, where she stroked her clit in the same pace he thrusted into her.

"Lorelai", he hissed through gritted teeth.

"Fuck me, Luke, oh yes!"

His thrusts became faster still, and his balls were slapping against her folds. He could feel her walls tightening around his cock.

"Oh God, Luke, I'm... again", she moaned loudly.

Her second orgasm of the night was even more intense than the first one. Luke leaned forward and put his hand over hers and they rubbed her together, until she tumbled over the edge. He held his cock inside her, but Lorelai pushed her ass back, so that he slid out, and she dropped forward and fell limp against the pillows.

"Did you... come?", she asked half into the pillow.

"No", he simply said.

"How on earth do you do it?", she wanted to know.

"Wanna know my secret?", he asked with a smug smile on his face.

"God yes."

"I was doing inventory. Of the store room. In my head."

She laughed wholeheartedly. "Maybe I should try that next time!"

Luke turned her around, and showered her breasts with kisses. His tongue trailed further down, over her ribcage to her hipbone. His tongue followed the line that separated her leg from her sex. He lightly sucked the soft skin into his mouth, and pressed her legs apart.

"Luke, I don't know if I can stand another round", she said carefully.

"Just relax, I'll do the heavy lifting", he replied.

He spread her folds with his thumbs, and her flesh was now dark pink, her clit swollen, He dove into her heat with his tongue.

"Oh God, I love how you taste", he stated in awe.

"I love how you feel", she replied.

His tongue circled her clit, and he plunged first one, then two fingers into her hot wetness. He licked her beaded bump, and lightly bit it with his teeth.

The sharp intake of air, combined with her fists in his hair, signalled him that she was enjoying the rougher treatment he was giving her now.

"Shit, Luke, you're unbelievable", she moaned.

He suckled her clit, and his fingers thrust into her. She started to writhe under him. Luke stopped licking her, and pulled his fingers out of her, which earned him a groan of disapproval. Lorelai looked him deep into the eyes, as he erected his torso in front of her. He took his fingers into his mouth and sucked her juices from them.

"No more inventory, mister", she warned him, as she stroked his member a couple times.

He entered her again, "Mmmmh."

Luke set a slow, maddening pace. She loved how she was pinned between the mattress and his weight. He slowly pumped in and out of her, and the base of his shaft hit her clit everytime he reentered her. Luke leaned forward, slightly changing his angle, and buried his face in her thick curls. He deeply inhaled her scent. Lorelai cupped his firm ass, and closed her legs around him. Suddenly, he stopped, and let his cock rest deep inside of her.

Lorelai started moving her pelvis up and down, intensifying the friction of his pubic bone on her clit. She felt his muscles tense.

"Let go, Luke", she asked him.

She continued to move her hips, and felt another wave of pleasure course through her body.

"Lorelai", he groaned.

She quickened her pace, and rubbed herself mercilessly against him.

"Yes, God, yes, Luke", she screamed.

He couldn't hold back any longer. He now matched her movements, and felt his orgasm ripple through him.

"I'm so close, come for me, Luke", she moaned.

"Fuck, Lorelai", Luke groaned, and shot his load.

As the hard, hot spurts filled her, Lorelai came again, and bit him in the shoulder.

Lorelai kissed Luke tenderly, and moved her hands from his ass to his neck, where she played with the curls behind his ears.

"That was unbelievable", she stated.

"Oh yes, it was", he confirmed, as he pulled out of her.

She whimpered at the loss of their connection, but then comfortably huddled against his body. Lorelai stroked his stubbly cheek, and kissed his jaw.

Luke kissed her temple, and asked, "So, how long am I allowed to stay?"

"What do you mean, won't you stay the night?"

"I'd love to stay and make love to you all night long, but is that allowed?"

"You wanna ask my father for permission first?", she joked.

"You know what I mean. Am I allowed to stay here in this hotel room with you?"

"Why wouldn't you be?", she said with a shrug.

"Would you let anybody stay at the inn?"

"You told me a secret before, so let me tell you one of mine", she said as she propped herself up on her elbows. "I booked this room for two people, Luke. I gave them your name."

"You sneaky little thing! Were you trying to seduce me?"

"_Trying? _I succeeded. I aced the test. I graduated top of the class."

"Yeah, you did", he said as he pulled her close, his grip tightening aroung her curves.

* * *

**I hope you liked it, be nice and leave me a review on your way out. I love getting your feedback.**


	12. Souvenirs

**AN: I don't own anything. Hey readers! How are you today? I'm sleep-deprived, and still have to do a lot of housework today. Yes, I just wrote that so that you'll pity me. Go ahead and read this week's chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Souvenirs**

There's no place like home. No, that's not just a saying. It's the very essence of life. To some people, a house is a home. It's filled with memories of people you love who love you back. To others, it can't be defined in those limited terms. Maybe because Lorelai Gilmore probably has as many good memories connected to her childhood home as others do when they think of a root canal treatment, she now can call an entire town her home.

The town square is her den, the old Independence Inn is her kitchen, Doose's Market is her pantry, and Luke's Diner is undoubtedly her living room. It's where you're cuddled up on the couch eating your food, it's where you are entertained by the best small town theater there is. She had read somewhere that people only go on vacation to be able to appreciate their home again. And boy, was that a true statement.

Here she was, back in Stars Hollow, after two long months spent in Europe, to see how people in foreign countries live their lives, what their homes look like. And after experiencing different cultures, hearing all those languages, tasting the food, looking at their art, Lorelai was sure that nothing could ever compare to the town she came to almost 18 years ago. Nothing in the world gave her that same feeling, no art museum, not the delicious pasta, and certainly not the hours spent at the Clarence Hotel in Dublin.

Now, looking at Luke and Taylor fighting, she even wondered why she had left at all. But there it was, right next to her. For Rory, she'd go anywhere. Lorelai loved every minute of their trip together. And frankly, without Rory, it wouldn't have been as good. But as the weeks had progressed, and the items of clean clothing had become more and more scarce, she missed her home. Her town. Her Stars Hollow. After she had adjusted to the time difference, and recognized the Euro coins from their shape and size, her nights became lonely. Often she had lain awake, thinking about Sookie, the new inn, and wondered if Luke had gone on that trip with Nicole.

Luke. That was another reason why she was glad to be back. Lorelai couldn't pinpoint the exact moment, but somewhere between the Colosseum und the Cologne Cathedral, she thought about him, about them actually. For most women, comparing a man to their first boyfriend was a sentimental ritual, and often they wonder why they ever let him go. For Lorelai, it always was the other way round. No matter who she dated, she always thought they'd be better than Chris some way or the other. When it came to Luke, all those thousands of miles away from home, she thought he'd be better in _every_ respect.

She was touched when he had come to Rory's graduation. Chris hadn't made it. Surprise. Rory's speech had made Luke cry, and that made Lorelai cry. And all those weeks spent in Europe, she kicked herself for not recognizing it sooner. Of course she had recognized that there was _something, _however, she hadn't seen that Luke was _everything_. She kicked herself for assuming that a guy like that could never be interested in a woman like her. She had considered it a crush, nothing else.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. That's another saying with a lot truth to it. But Lorelai knew that when it came to Luke, it had started with an absence that had nothing to do with the Atlantic Ocean between them. It had started many months ago, when a woman had come into his life, their lives actually. Because honestly, since when can a person enter Luke's life and not be in Lorelai's? It was an occasional Friday Night where Ceaser had served her the comforting cup of coffee, it was a town meeting with her next to him, and not Lorelai. Then it was an entire weekend where he had gone skiing. It was that awful night that marked the start of said skiing trip when Lorelai felt she would have to show him she's OK with him being with Nicole by turning down their bed at the inn, _her_ inn. In her core, she felt humiliated because she got the bed ready for Luke to have sex in with Nicole.

Lorelai had felt like a possessive bitch for feeling the way she did. _I just want him because I can't have him, now that he's with her. _Those were the thoughts that had crossed her mind more than once. Ultimately, she wanted him to be happy. She just couldn't grasp how he could ever be happy with Nicole. But she had to accept it. Accept the idea that a man that perfect would seek perfection in a partner. Who knew it would be a perfect little, skinny lawyer who resembled Ally McBeal, minus the neuroses. Lorelai knew she was far from that degree of perfection. She wasn't skinny, didn't have half the composure that Nicole had, and frankly, she never wanted to be that way. It was then when she realized that Patty, Babette, Sookie, and even her own mother were wrong, had been wrong all those years, when they said Luke had a thing for her. It was a crush, just a crush. Sometimes, people have silly crushes, but when they settle, they want something different, _someone_ different.

The hardest part came when they had arrived in Belgium. Belgium? Yeah, Belgium, definitely Belgium. The waffles. Oh, the waffles. Lorelai couldn't stop thinking about Luke and their conversation about his living situation with Jess. Luke had bought a Belgian waffle dipped in chocolate. Bought it, not eaten it. Everytime she and Rory had a waffle - and on their four day stay in Belgium there were eight waffles consumed, eight waffles each that is - she thought of Luke. The thought of Luke eating a waffle. Surprisingly they had found that chocolate was only the second best thing to put on a Belgian waffle. After their first two waffles with chocolate, they had tried other things, until they had discovered a piece of heaven called Speculoos Pasta. That was waffle number six. And seven, and eight.

What came after, was a series of delicious, dirty thoughts. Luke and a waffle, a waffle dipped in chocolate, Luke dipped in chocolate, Luke's finger dipped in Speculoos in Lorelai's mouth. Oy with the poodles already.

Snippets of conversation snapped her back into reality.

"Look at all the pretty candy", Luke said with an evil grin while throwing candy in the air.

"Agh, stop it right now", Taylor demanded.

Lorelai gasped. "Oh my God!"

"Hm, what? What's the matter?", Rory asked as she munched her biscotti.

"Luke."

"Yeah, he's finally lost it", Rory stated amusedly.

"No, the gift. The gift we got him. It's not good enough. We need to get him something else!", Lorelai said, slightly panicky.

"Like what? This is Stars Hollow. Everything you buy here has Hello Kitty stamped on the bottom."

"Well, we have to get him _something_."

"Great."

"Come on", Lorelai said as her feet moved her away from the Soda Shoppe.

"I'm hungry", Rory whined.

* * *

Desperation and hope can be so close together sometimes. Over the moon to see and talk to her best friend again, Lorelai found out that Sookie's pregnant with a boy, and that Luke was acting weirder than normal. Luke went on that cruise with Nicole. Did they have a fight? Oh God, did he go down on one knee? Were they engaged? Or married! Lorelai pushed the thought away. That was ridiculous. Luke was no spur of the moment kind of guy!

Finally back at Luke's. Heaven. Oh that smell. Coffee, and bacon, and pie.

He put a cup of coffee in front of Lorelai, who had sat on a stool at the counter.

"You remembered."

"Yup. A couple things about you stick. You have a good time?", he asked.

"Vos odeurs de chat."

"What's that?"

"Your cat smells."

"You must've been a big hit with the salon set."

"The trip was incredible, we had the best time. We were supposed to come back on Saturday."

"I know."

"Keeping tabs on me?"

"Always safer to know which direction the tornado's coming from."

"Anyhow, we were in London and we ran into this group of girls who were heading to Ireland to stake out the Clarence Hotel."

"Why?"

"Because U2 owns it and Bono hangs out there."

"Ah. Him again."

"So then we jumped on a train and we headed to Ireland - incredibly beautiful, by the way - and we sat in a bar for two days and did nothing but eat soda crackers and funky cheese and he never showed."

"Que sera."

"Hm", she said and sipped from her cup. "Mm, still good. I told 'em about you over there, Señor Swanky-pants."

"Can't tell you how grateful I am to have you as my press agent", he deadpanned.

"And we got you something."

"You did?"

"Yes, we did", Lorelai said and rummaged through her backpack.

"You didn't have to do that."

"What are you talking about? We do not go to Europe and come back without bringing something for Luke. Here", she said as she handed him a book.

"'_European Cuisine from the Guiltless Gourmet: Greek, English, German, Russian and Scandinavian Recipes for the Health-Conscious Cook_'. Wow, thanks", he said while starting to flip through it.

"Yeah, we saw that little bookstore in Covent Garden, in London. It was this idyllic, little store. Just like the one from 'You've got Mail', and Rory was looking for a book to read on the trip, because I made her only take a few books with her. So anyhow, I saw that book, and it scremed Luke. Yelled actually", Lorelai explained, all the while avoiding his eyes when she told him the story.

"Uh huh", he said with narrowed eyes.

"And then the bookstore owner told us the story about the book, its author, and how it became this best-seller, but now it's all sold out, and we actually got you the last copy of that book. It's the last one, I sw..., uh, I got it from Sookie's house", she confessed.

"No", Luke said mockingly.

"How did you know?"

"Just a wild guess."

"I swear, we tried to get you something, but nothing was good enough."

"No, forget it. I didn't get you anything from my trip either. We're even."

"Oh yeah, how was the cruise?", Lorelai wanted to know.

"Oh it was... you know."

"Not really, I've never been on a cruise. So..."

Luke walked around the counter, and took Lorelai's hand. Under her protests, he pulled her into the store room.

"Luke, what is wrong with you?", she asked.

"Neither have I", he said, as he leaned against one of the shelves.

"Neither have you what?", Lorelai asked with knitted brows.

"I never went on that cruise."

"You never... But Sookie said...", she stuttered.

"Nicole and I broke up."

"You...? But Sookie said..."

"I went fishing. I drove to my dad's old cabin, I actually worked a little on it. The roof was leaking. So I fixed it. Everyone knew I'd be going, and I didn't want to answer their questions. So I went anyway, they didn't have to know where. I needed to buy time. I thought they'd be nosy if I stayed. Turns out, they're just as nosy since my return. I let them believe I went on the cruise. I thought it was easier that way."

"Wow, that's a lot to process. Did you ever consider putting a few chairs in here?", Lorelai said as she slid down on the ground.

"What is there to process?", he asked.

"Well, I thought you went on that cruise. I thought you proposed, and gotten married."

"Don't be ridiculous!"

"I thought you did. It certainly would have silenced all those questions..."

"What questions?"

"You know, a single man of a certain age who lives alone..."

"You're kidding!"

"Hey, I always defended you. I always said 'Hey, so what if he is?'"

"Thank you for your support."

"You're welcome."

"OK, I'd like to propose something. Since I have a new cookbook and everything, why don't I make you a three course dinner?"

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, why not. I'd like to hear from your trip."

"Alright. This week will be Rory and me time 24/7, but afterwards I'm free. So, how about a week from Saturday?"

"Sounds good."

"Can I give you a hug?"

"Sure", he said, and pulled her close.

"I missed you so much", Lorelai mumbled against his chest.

"Me too", he said as he kissed her temple.

* * *

After moving Rory to Yale a week earlier than they both had thought, Lorelai found it unnecessary to wait any longer for her three course dinner with Luke. So she preponed it to Tuesday night. She entered the building through the alley behind it, made her way up the stairs, and found herself hesitantly knocking on the frosted glass door. Shortly after, it opened and Luke stood before her.

"Hi", she said.

"Good evening, ma'am. Welcome to our culinary tour through Europe", he said cordially.

"Wow, there's something seriously wrong with that picture. No flannel? No hat? And what's with the mood? Smoked any weed?"

"Why would you assume that?", he asked as she stepped in.

"You're in a good mood, that's all."

"I can't be in a good mood? I'm just happy to see ya", he defended himself.

"Oh", she said. "So, what are the three courses?", she asked excitedly.

"First, we'll have gruel. Then our main course will be tripe and drisheen, followed by fruit for dessert."

Lorelai's face color changed with every course he revealed.

"Oh man, I knew you'd do something like that. Something disgusting, followed by something I don't know but sounds gross, followed by plain old fruit? I knew it. And here I was, shaving my legs and everything, and using the good body lotion", she said with a pout.

A smile crept to his lips. "Gotcha!", he smirked, which earned him a hit on the chest.

"Asshole!", she said with a laugh.

"But good to know you shaved your legs for me", Luke said as his smirk grew wider.

"So, what'll we really have?"

"We'll start with Smørrebrød with remoulade and prawns. Our entree is Ossobuco with fried polenta, followed by Blackforest Gateau. Is that better?"

"Better? It's the best. And you followed a nice north-south-axis. Denmark, Germany, Italy. My geography teacher Mrs. Dombrowski would've been proud!"

An hour later, Lorelai enjoyed her big piece of cake, while she shook her head at Luke's decision to only eat a slice that was barely and inch thick.

"This is so good, you should sell the recipe to Weston's!", she said as she swallowed her last bite of cake.

"I don't think so. A family recipe needs to remain in the family", he insisted.

"That's a shame. You could make a fortune with that recipe."

"Would you like a digestif?", he asked after clearing the plates.

"Actually, I do. What can you offer?"

"I have an old bottle of Armagnac from my dad."

"Sold", she said as she walked over to couch and took her purse with her.

Luke poured two glasses of Armagnac, walked to the couch, sat down next to Lorelai and gave her the snifter.

"Thanks for a lovely meal. Cheers!", she said.

The glasses clinked together, and they drank.

"This is actually tasty, where did you say your dad got it?"

"A friend of his brought it back from France the year before my dad died. I recall drinking a glass with him after he had been diagnosed."

Lorelai fell silent. She knew Luke only talked about his dad on rare occasions.

"I have a confession to make. I actually did get you a gift, but I thought it was lame, so I asked Sookie to give me the book. I thought it'd be better for you. But I brought the original gift", Lorelai said, and grabbed a wooden box from her purse. "Here, this is for you."

"Wow, thanks so much, Lorelai", he said, closely inspecting it.

"You're very welcome."

"I love it. Thank you", he said and put the Earl Grey tea, rock candy, and cup with a plaid pattern printed on it on the coffee table.

"So, whatever happened between you and Nicole?", Lorelai asked carefully.

"Uh, it was nothing really. It just didn't work out. She's a lawyer, I don't like lawyers. I once told you that I didn't like people making me eat French food. She is one of those people, you know."

"Ah, I see. That's why there was no Bouillabaisse, Coq Au Vin, and Crème Brûlée tonight."

He smiled. Oh that smile. It came almost as rarely as the talks about his dad, so Lorelai really appreciated it. Only she knew how often that smile had made her day in the last seven years.

"I had a dream, you know?", he said.

"Like Martin Luther King?"

"No, I dreamt that you came to the diner after Rory's graduation, and told me not to get engaged. I broke up with Nicole after that."

Lorelai was silent. She looked up to him. "You did?", she asked sheepishly.

"Yeah. Ask me why."

"Why?", she said automatically.

"Because ever since you told me you dreamt you had my twins, I couldn't get you out of my head. I knew what you were gonna say before you interrupted yourself. You were about to say that I kissed you."

"You knew?", Lorelai asked as she turned on the couch to face him.

"I knew. Don't ask what I dreamt that night."

"OK, I won't. I have to be honest with you, Luke. I thought about you, too."

"U2? I know, you told me you stayed at their hotel."

"Not the band, I thought about you, about us."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, constantly. Why do you think I freaked out because of that stupid gift? By the time we were back in Stars Hollow, you deserved more than just tea!"

"Then, what did I deserve? A cookbook for health-conscious cooks?", Luke asked with a cocky grin.

"Maybe", she replied and looked him deep in the eyes.

"Then why did you get me a souvenir in the first place?"

"I looked it up. Souvenir."

"You had to look up what a souvenir is?"

"No, it's a verb. It's French. It means to remember."

"Uh huh."

"I remembered. Everything, Luke. I remembered the time you cleaned my rain gutters, or when you took me to the hospital when my dad was sick. The time you almost kissed me in the diner when we were kneeling behind the counter. When you came to Rory's graduation instead of her dad. When we stood under the chuppah you made for me. When you asked me if you should go on that trip, and I wanted you to stay, but at the same time wanted you to be hap-", she said before she was interrupted by his lips on hers.

"Lorelai", Luke mumbled against her lips.

She could taste the Armagnac on his lips and tongue as he gently explored her mouth.

"And you're sure about the recipe?", she asked when they separated for air.

"Yeah", he confirmed.

"But you can give it to me, I'm not baking anyway."

"So what do you need the recipe for?"

"I could give it to Sookie and she could make it for me."

"Sorry, it stays in the family. I'd have to marry you."

"OK."

"OK?"

"Yeah, I'd marry you for the recipe", she said nonchalantly.

"For the recipe?", Luke asked, stunned.

"Yes. People have married for much less."

"Lorelai-". he said before she interrupted him.

"Think about it."

"I have. It's crazy."

"Oh."

"Can't we go on a date before we talk about nuptials?"

"This isn't a date?"

"Is it?"

"To me, it is."

Luke smiled. "Yeah, it is."

"Don't sound so surprised! You tried to seduce me with this dinner!"

"Is it working?", he asked impishly.

"Hell yeah!", she said and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.

They went back to kissing while their hands explored their bodies through their clothes. Soon their impatience grew, and they stood up and undressed each other, their lips only separating when it became necessary. Luke's hands were everywhere: her back, her ass, her arms, her face, in her hair, on her breasts. Fuelled by curiosity and the growing arousal, Lorelai touched Luke's erection, an area she had avoided until now. She stroked his hard member slowly, closely watching his relaxed face.

She still held his stiff cock in her hand, and started walking backwards to his bed. Luke played with her hardened nipples, twirling them with his thumbs and forefingers. They lay down, and exchanged hot open-mouthed kisses, while soft moans filled the room. Luke's fingers moved from her breasts, over her stomach past her trimmed curls, where he found her engorged clit.

Lorelai threw her head back, and stopped stroking his cock, unable to focus on the task as he gave her pleasure with his nimble fingers.

"Oh God, Luke, don't stop", she whispered.

For years and years, Luke would have killed to know how her skin felt, how she tasted, what it felt like to hear her moan. Now that he heard her say his name fulfilled every sexual fantasy he had ever had. His cock became harder with every reassuring look from her. He let his fingers move towards her entrance. He found her very hot and wet, and it was all because of him. His cock twitched with anticipation that made every cell in his body do a happy dance. His heartrate went up when he let one finger slide into her wet heat, while his thumb circled her clit.

She narrowed her closed eyes, and could feel her orgasm quickly building. She moved her hips to meet every stroke. "Jesus, Luke", she screamed as she tumbled over the edge.

Surprised by the fast arrival of her release, she sat up, and shook her head. "Wow, I don't know what to say. That was, oh my God, it was so good."

Luke sat up also, and placed a gentle kiss on her shoulder. She could feel the smile on his lips as the hairs on his chest tickled her back. His hands massaged her breasts again. "Good, it was amazing for me, too", he said calmly.

Lorelai swung her leg over his and straddled his thighs, her back leaning against his chest. She rubbed his rock hard erection against her wet folds, and Luke leaned back. Through closed teeth he hissed, "Lorelai, oh, that feels so good."

She continued with her strokes, and slightly moved her hips up and down to intensify the sensation. He squeezed her breasts, and rolled her nipples between his fingers. With her left hand, Lorelai cupped his balls, all the while her right hand holding his throbbing erection against her folds. The tip of his cock poked her clit everytime she sank down. Lorelai could feel another orgasm building, and pushed herself up.

"Enough with the games already, I need you inside me, Luke", she announced.

"God, yes."

She firmly held onto his penis, and finally let him enter her in one swift move. Both moaned their approval. Lorelai soon began to ride his cock while her fingers rubbed her clit. Luke played with her breasts, roughly squeezing them. His eyes rested on her ass, as his cock vanished inside her when she sank down.

"Mmmmh", he made while he pushed his pelvis against her.

"Luke, I'm... again", Lorelai said as she rode him faster and moved her hand over her clit with the same pace.

"Yes, come for me."

Luke thought he was in heaven when her walls tightened around his cock when she came hard. He didn't give her long to come down to earth.

"Turn around, I need to see your face", he said.

Lorelai panted heavily, but complied. She let his still very hard cock slide out, rolled off to his right side, and was ready to let her limp body have a break.

"Not so fast", Luke said as his strong arms held her tight, and pulled her onto his body.

He took her face in his hands, and kissed her hungrily, his cock nestling against her wet slit. His right hand fumbled between their bodies until he found his member. He grabbed it, pushed it into her entrance, and groaned loudly. Lorelai moved her pelvis in a circular motion, her lips still connected to his. Luke held her bottom lip between his teeth, and cupped her ass with his big hands. He slowly pulled her cheeks apart, and moved his hands back up her spine.

Lorelai moved her hips up and down again, as his hands moved from her back to her sides.

"You're so tight", he mumbled between their kisses.

"That's only because you're so big", Lorelai countered with a grin. "Yes, that's right, you're so big, Luke, your cock feels so fucking good in me."

"Stop", he said, feeling his orgasm approaching.

"Stop? Stop with this?", she asked and wiggled her hips.

"No, stop with the talk, or I'll..."

"Or you'll what, Luke?", she asked challengingly.

"Or I'll come, OK?", he replied.

"You'll come? Don't you wanna come, big boy?", she asked teasingly as she continued to move her hips up and down.

Luke hesitated. Then he cupped her ass again to still her, and pushed her down. She whimpered as her clit slammed onto his pubic bone. His cock was deep in her, and his lips found her nipples.

"Move your hips", he commanded.

He still had her ass in his hands, which prevented them from long strokes. The shorter ones were very intense, their body contact the closest possible. Luke gently bit her nipples and captured them between his teeth. Lorelai groaned with approval, and tried to ride him harder.

"Easy, girl", he said. "You already had your way with me, now it's my turn. I want you slow, I want to be deep inside you, I want your hard nipples in my mouth."

The situation was bizarre. Lorelai was on top of Luke, in a dominant position, yet his strong arms didn't allow her to do what she wanted. Luke pushed his pelvis up and met her slow movements. He was closer to his orgasm than he let her know, hoping to make her come a third time. Lorelai moaned loudly when he bit her nipple a little harder this time. She couldn't recall any time she was wetter, or more turned on than in that moment. His long cock deep inside her, his dark blue eyes clouded with desire, and his stubbly chin pressed against her breasts. When another wave of arousal coursed through her body, she sensed she was close again.

"Please let me ride you harder, Luke, I think I'm gonna come again", she begged.

He said nothing, but released her ass, and hoped he could last a little longer. She rode him wildly, and her face tensed. It was too much for him, Luke couldn't hold it back any longer.

"Yes, Lorelai, fuck me", he groaned as he felt her tightening around him again.

She rode him harder still, her own orgasm not far away. Luke's hands cupped her ass again, trying to still her as he filled her hard and hot. His orgasm made her come hard, and she chanted his name.

Minutes passed until either of them could speak again. Luke cleared his throat.

"Um, sorry I have to ask again. But why exactly did you think the tea box wasn't enough? I love tea, and the cup has a plaid pattern printed on it. I don't get it. Did you want me to cook for you, and that's why you got the book?", he wanted to know.

"Luke, you cook for me every day. I don't need a book to get you to do it."

"True, but in the diner I don't cook like that."

"Yeah, what's that about? I see a parallel to your personality."

"What? How so?"

"Well, think about it. In the diner you only cook burgers and stuff, and you're kind of a curmudgeon. Upstairs, the food is different, you're different. It's like the rest of the town only gets to see and taste a fragment of yourself, while there's more of you", Lorelai stated while her fingers tips drew circles on his chest.

"I guess. Maybe I don't want everyone else to know what a catch I am", he said teasingly.

"That you are. Glad I caught you."

"It was about time, don't you think? Hey, you changed the subject. Tell me about the tea!", he demanded.

"OK. Remember that you promised to marry me, so there's no way back, regardless how stupid the story I'm about to tell you is gonna be." Luke nodded. Lorelai inhaled in preparation of what she would tell him. _The truth, it has to be truth._

"I stole it from my grandmother's pantry", she said sheepishly, which only made Luke laugh.

* * *

**I hope I made you laugh in the end. OK, here comes an announcement: I'll take a little break from Coffee&amp;Flannel. I still have a couple ideas, but I think I kinda suck right now. Plus, I want to focus on my other story "It's About Time". Be nice and leave me a review on your way out!**


	13. Hot Days, Hotter Nights

**Hey, folks! I hope you're good. I know I said I'd take a break from the smut, but it's so hot right now, that I couldn't let this one go. I had to write it to get it out of my head. I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

**Hot Days, Hotter Nights**

Gazpacho. What a weird dish. It has this pale red color, and it tastes like puréed tomato salad. Yet this was the fourth day in a row where Lorelai had Gazpacho for lunch. She has been eating it for four days straight because it was the fourth miserable, hot summer day. Lorelai was sure, the only place where it was hotter than here had to be the sun.

Sookie had suggested Gazpacho because Jackson's tomato crop was exceptionally good this year. Tomatoes love the sun. And after a week of colorful tomato salad, she decided to add cucumber, and bell peppers to the mix, and make something different for the Independence Inn staff.

Lorelai liked tomatoes on her pizza, as the sauce. She liked it with pasta, or in a salad. But she couldn't wrap her mind around a cold, uncooked tomato soup. Sookie tried to vary the recipe a little every day. She changed the tomato-cucumber-ratio, then the tomato-pepper-ratio, she diced tomato, cucumber, and pepper to sprinkle it over the soup. Nothing could persuade Lorelai to give the gazpacho another try.

The truth was, she really wanted to eat a burger. Some people can't eat hot things when it's too hot outside, and live on melon for days. Lorelai was longing to eat a burger. She had tried to find a burger as good as Luke's, or maybe one that came close. She couldn't find one in a 15 mile radius around Stars Hollow. She still didn't go to Luke's diner, hence the need to find a substitute. It has been seven weeks, and she would be damned if she said 'I'm sorry' first.

Lorelai pushed the bowl of gazpacho aside, stood up, and went to her office. She flipped her cell phone open and dialed.

"Hello?"

"Hello, sweet child of mine", Lorelai sing-sanged.

"Hey mom, what's up?", Rory asked.

"Nothin' much. Gazpacho here, Gazpacho there, Michel has new shoes and whines constantly about his blisters, the usual. What about you? How are our nation's representatives coping with Paris, and her... well, Paris-ness?"

"She seems to induce a lot of people's urge to urinate", Rory mocked.

"Huh, so basically just the male ones are safe?"

"Pretty much."

"Add that to the list of unfair burdens for us women. So, what's on your agenda today?", Lorelai wanted to know.

"Oh, we're having lunch in a few minutes, and then we have the afternoon off. Tonight's this panel about young leaders in regional politics", Rory explained.

"Ooh, I like that. I'll tell Taylor to buckle up, because you want to dethrone him as soon as you're back. Where are you going for lunch?"

"Paris and I will go to this new burger place with a few girls."

"Oh my god! I can't believe it! You just said the b-word!", Lorelai protested.

"Mom! Would you just go to Luke's, and get it over with? It's been seven weeks!", Rory ordered bossily.

"But, I can't, I'm afraid I'll-", Lorelai before she was interrupted.

"No mom. No more buts! If you want to eat a burger that actually tastes good, then take a leap of faith and go to the diner. I know it's hard, but you have to get over yourself!"

"What if he asks about Chris?"

"Why would he do that? Does he even know about dad?"

"Hello? I live next to the biggest town gossip. First there's a Volvo in the driveway, then it's gone."

"Yeah, but we're talking about Luke here. There's still a fifty-fifty chance he hasn't heard it yet. Besides, how likely will he bring up the subject even if he did know?", Rory wondered.

"You're probably right. You know I love Sookie, but if I have to eat Gazpacho one more day, I'll have to kill myself."

"Any preferred scenario in your head?"

"Oh, I think I'll starve to death."

"Good plan, but if you change your mind, and stab yourself with a blunt knife, go to the bathroom first. The cleaning would be so much easier there", Rory joked.

"I think I changed my mind, it will be a murder-suicide after all", Lorelai deadpanned.

"Love ya, mom. Say hi to Luke from me!"

"Love ya, too. Bye, hon."

Rory's reassuring, yet bossy voice still in her head, and spurred by her hunger and craving for Luke's burger, Lorelai decided it was time for her lunch break off the premises of the Independence Inn. For the first time in weeks, she crossed the invisible line that devided the town square into safe and not so safe territory. She hadn't been to a town meeting since her fight with Luke. She knew she probably wouldn't run into him there, but the proximity of Miss Patty's to Luke's was the reason why she had sent Sookie instead.

The first ten days after Sookie and Jackson's wedding were the worst. If Lorelai hadn't been wollowing and living on pizza and ice cream, she would have had nothing to eat but take-out from Al's, since Sookie and Jackson were on their honeymoon. That and Rory's absence made it very hard for Lorelai to have a normal daily routine. Things have been picking up since Sookie was back, and Lorelai had someone to confide in who would feed her. Though Lorelai loved Sookie and their friendship, it wasn't quite the same as her and Luke's relationship.

Instead of verbal ping-pong, she got Sookie's bubbly chatter, negotiations about food that were nothing short of the Israel-Palestine peace negotiations gave way to Sookie's pampering and fulfilling Lorelai's every wish. Though properly fed, Gazpacho aside, Lorelai had to feel the weight of a burger in her hands, taste the beef, and lick her fingers afterwards. But most of all, she loved the lies she had to tell Luke to get the burger, it made it oh so better.

A much needed breeze played with the hem of Lorelai's navy summer dress that brought out her eyes, as she was on her way to Luke's diner. She wasn't scared, in fact, she was excited to see him again. She felt bad enough that he didn't go to Sookie's wedding because of their fight, but at the same time she was glad he didn't come and witness how she and Chris couldn't keep their hands off of each other.

"Lorelai", a voice pulled Lorelai out of her thoughts.

"Kirk, how are you doing?", she asked politely.

"The current heat wave is taking its toll on people. We should hydrate properly."

"Very true. So, what's new with you, Kirk?", Lorelai asked.

"I was wondering, did you poll the people about my singing voice like you promised you would do?", he wanted to know.

Lorelai thought for a moment. They stood right in front of Luke's. She tried to sneak an inconspicuous peek of the goings-on in the diner. There he was. Behind the counter, the flannel and undershirt pushed up to the elbows, notepad and pencil in his hands. He looked up, and she instantly smiled at him. His stern look never vanished from his face, and he turned around and went to the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, what, Kirk?", Lorelai said.

"As you recall, I was singing at Sookie's wedding and Morey accompanied me on the piano. Right after the ceremony I asked you if that was something people would be paying for to hear, and you said you'd poll the guests after the wedding and get back to me. You did look distracted then, but I never thought you wouldn't keep your word. So, what do you think?", Kirk asked.

"Kirk, don't get me wrong, but don't you have enough jobs as it is?", Lorelai said distractedly.

"I am a man of many talents, and I like to tend to all of them, so I have this job rotation worked out. The new music shop won't hire me, so I either have this singing gig at the Independence Inn, or I have to audition for the Stars Hollow Elementary school plays. Again", he explained.

"I'm sorry, Kirk, I'll get back to you", Lorelai said, and entered Luke's.

"I know that look, she's distracted again", Kirk mumbled to himself.

Lorelai inhaled, and opened the door, anxious to hear the little bell announce her presence to the diner owner. It was quite the huge lunch crowd, but she would have taken a seat at the counter anyway. She sat on the stool next to her usual one, and waited for Luke to appear from the kitchen. At the moment, she was nervous. Seeing him after almost two months gave her sweaty palms, and a quicker heart rate. Have his shoulders always been this broad?

Luke took his time coming out of the kitchen. He had hoped Caesar would cut his break short, and save him from this situation. But he had no such luck. With a tuna melt, and a cobb salad, he came out of the kitchen, and ignored Lorelai as much as he could. When he returned from the table she had given the number 5 to, he stood directly in front of her, and looked down on his notepad.

"What can I get ya?", he asked curtly.

Lorelai was a bit thrown by his tone for a moment, but quickly replied, "Cheeseburger, fries, coffee."

He nodded almost unrecognizably, and went back to the kitchen. Lorelai didn't know what was wrong with him. She secretly had hoped that he'd talk to her when they met. She knew it wasn't going back to normal quickly, but at least she thought he'd be willing to talk to her. Even if it was just superficial banter. Boy, was she wrong.

As soon as Caesar was back, Luke vanished upstairs, and she didn't get to say goodbye to him. Her tongue and stomach were forever grateful to be given the pleasure of eating a burger from Luke's, but it was her heart that wasn't satisfied with how things had gone. Lorelai took matters in her own hands, and took the liberty to join him upstairs. She paid for her burger, and took the stairs up to his apartment. She quickly knocked on the frosted glass and waited for his response.

"I need a few more minutes, Caesar", he yelled.

Lorelai didn't know what to do. She didn't want to reveal who was knocking on the door yet, because she simply was scared he wouldn't open the door. So she knocked again, not saying a word. It took a few seconds before she saw him standing on the other side of the door, and she assumed he had recognized her, because he hesitated to open the door. Suddenly, it flew open, and Lorelai flinched. Not as much as during the Festival of Living Pictures, but it was a flinch nonetheless.

"What do you want?", Luke asked, and avoided looking into her eyes.

"It's nice to see you too", Lorelai said jokingly.

"What do you want here, Lorelai?", he repeated.

"I was hoping we could talk."

"Talk?", he asked with knitted brows.

"Yes."

"About?", he wanted to know, still not offering her to come inside.

"This isn't a hallway conversation. I was hoping we could talk in private", she said appeasingly.

"Last time we talked you didn't mind having an audience. In fact, and correct me if I'm wrong, you were trying very hard to wake up everyone within a 300 yard radius with your voice that night."

"Luke, I was very upset that night. I would have yelled if Doose's had been out of peaches. I'm here to talk to you. I was hoping we could be friends again."

"Friends?", he asked suspiciously.

"Yes, friends", she nodded in approval.

"What do you want me to fix?"

"What? Nothing! Why do you think I would want you to fix something?"

"Because that's how it normally works. The grass on your lawn is pretty high, maybe you were hoping I could mow", Luke said with a raised voice.

"How do you know about my grass height?"

"Because I saw it with my own eyes."

"When?"

"Yesterday."

"I live in the last house on a dead end street. What were you doing there anyway?"

"OK, maybe you don't need me mow the lawn, but what else is it? Why are you here?", Luke asked, annoyed.

"Are you saying I'm only nice to you in order to get something out of it?", a shocked Lorelai wanted to know.

His silence spoke volumes.

"OK, then I think I'd better go. Your selective memory might have forgotten how I painted your diner by myself, and how I basically paused my job and my life to help you when your uncle died! And FIY, when Rachel came back, you did all the repairs without even being asked. Talk about using someone", Lorelai yelled, turned on her heel and quickly went home.

Luke stood with his mouth open, and couldn't believe how much he had just screwed up. Here she was, being nice, and looking beautiful, asking to be friends again, and not only did he brush her off, he also insinuated she was only using him, and thus questioned the very existence of their friendship. With everything she had done for him after Louie had passed away, he knew he should have treated her better.

* * *

As soon as Lorelai slammed the door of the Crap Shack, she let her anger out and screamed. She had walked so fast in the burning midday sun, that she was in desperate need of a shower. She went upstairs, got rid of her clothes, and was glad when the cool water was running down her face, hiding the fact that she was crying.

After calling Michel to tell him she would take the rest of the day off, she made iced tea, and went to sit on her porch swing. It actually felt nice sitting out with her hair still wet and the gentle breeze blowing. Though she had a magazine with her, she didn't really feel like reading it. As odd as it may sound, but even when they were yelling at each other, again, it felt good to see Luke and talk to him.

Lorelai felt the accumulated tiredness of four hot, sleepness nights wash over her, and she closed her eyes for a bit. It wasn't until hours later when the loudest noise woke her up. She startled, and sat up. She rubbed her face, and almost knocked her glass of iced tea over with her foot. The noise was still very loud, and she blinked a few times to adjust to the sunlight, which hadn't been too bright anymore. How long has she slept? And what was that noise? Finally on her feet, she streched her limbs, and then saw Luke dressed in shorts, and a plain grey t-shirt, as he mowed her lawn.

She went to the porch rail, and leaned her elbows on it, next to the blue and white flannel, watching him walk back and forth on her lawn.

She descended the steps, and tapped him on the shoulder. When he looked at her, she leaned closer, and said, "You do know that Taylor will kill you for mowing the lawn after 6pm, don't you?"

"He probably wants to kill you more for growing the grass 6 inches long", Luke yelled back. "I'll need your help later, don't go in", he added.

Lorelai sat on her porch steps, feeling slightly uncomfortable in her hot pants and bikini top. When Luke was almost done, he turned the mower off, and called Lorelai to him. Together they moved the chuppah away from its spot by the porch steps, and put it between the garage and the big tree. Lorelai sat back on the steps, and he joined her for a bit.

"So, you just felt the need to mow a lawn? I never knew about your grass height fetish...", Lorelai stated.

"I know I wasn't fair earlier. You didn't deserve the way I talked to you. I'm sorry, OK", Luke said as he bumped his shoulder into hers.

Lorelai was happy to hear that, so she offered, "You can stay for a beer when you're done."

Luke accepted, and went back to work. After a few minutes he pushed the lawn-mower back into her garage, and sat next to her on the porch steps. Though the sun was slowly descending, it was very hot, and Luke's t-shirt was soaked in sweat.

"Could I use your shower?", he asked shyly.

"Sure, you've fixed it often enough, you know where to find it", Lorelai said with a smile.

Luke felt uneasy. "Lorelai, I didn't mean to imply you were using me. You were right, I used you when Rachel was here."

"Clean towels are on the shelf next to the sink", was all Lorelai needed to say to show him she had forgiven him.

He nodded, and opened the front door. "And maybe you have something different than beer? Alcohol makes me sweaty when it's hot out."

Lorelai followed him inside, refreshed her iced tea, added lots of ice cubes, and poured him a tall glass, as well. She went back out, and walked to the chuppah. The beautiful chuppah Luke has made for her. She took a closer look at the carving and scrimshaw, and she couldn't hide a smile. She placed the glasses on the freshly cut grass, and her fingers followed the fine lines in the wood.

The sound of the front door opening made her turn around. A shirtless Luke came out, just in his shorts with a bare chest. Lorelai couldn't help but stare. His toned upper body looked sexy as hell, the still moist line of hair running down his lower abdomen, before it vanished in his shorts. Luke grabbed the flannel that he had hung over the porch rail before he started to mow the lawn, and quicky put it on. He walked over to the chuppah, where Lorelai was still standing, her mouth slightly open.

"Thanks, the shower was great", he said, as she gave him his iced tea.

"Anytime", Lorelai replied, still unable to digest the sight she has just seen. "I like Gilbert best", she declared.

"Gilbert?", Luke asked after taking a big gulp.

"The goat. We named him Gilbert."

"Huh. Why not Billy?", he asked.

"Please! Too obvious!"

"It's good tea, which brand did you buy?", Luke wanted to know.

"Actually, I made it myself."

"Really? It's good."

"So, what did you do here yesterday?", Lorelai asked bluntly.

Luke shifted uncomfortably on his feet. He walked a few steps away from her, then turned around.

"I wanted to see for myself if the rumors were true. If the Volvo was really gone", he confessed and blushed a little.

"Oh."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. I overheard Babette last week before she went on vacation, so I came here last night, and I, uh, I don't know. I thought he'd definitely be here on a Saturday night. So when he wasn't, I had my confirmation."

"Do you believe in karma, Luke?", Lorelai asked him.

"Karma?", he asked with knitted brows.

"Yeah, what goes around, comes around? Cosmic justice", she explained.

"I don't know. Maybe. Why?"

"Because today would have been my one year anniversary with Max, who I left, and one year later, I'm the one who was left. First I did the leaving, then it is done to me. Maybe I just got what I deserved."

"Don't say that. I'm not saying what you did was good, but it's better that you ended it instead of ending up in a marriage you want to get out of. That has to be worse than the pain you caused by calling the wedding off, right?"

"God, I hope so. Otherwise I'm cosmically screwed."

"Did he tell you why he left?", Luke asked.

"His girlfriend is pregnant. He's gonna be a dad. Again", Lorelai said and swallowed.

Lorelai sat down under the chuppah, and sipped on her iced tea. Luke joined her, and sat cross-legged across from her.

"Thanks for mowing the lawn, Luke. You're a real friend. And I'm sorry that I yelled at you that night. I was panicked. And though I knew Rory was OK, I got all worked up, and I couldn't think, and I... I'm really sorry, Luke", Lorelai said sincerely.

"It came true, you know."

"What did?"

"You told me to go to hell. Not seeing you, or talking to you was hell, Lorelai. Over the last year, I feel that our friendship became more and more important to me. So those last seven weeks were pure hell", Luke confessed.

"Luke, I've been meaning to ask you this for over a year. Why did Rachel leave? She told me she wanted to settle down, and I'm not saying I have this huge knowledge of human nature, but she seemed sincere. So, what happened?"

Luke hestitated. He took a big swig of the iced tea, and blinked a few times, before he came clean. "Turns out, she was the jealous type."

"Really? Didn't see her like that, to be honest. Who was she jealous of? Don't tell me it was Diane. Everyone knows she flirts with everybody. Hell, she even complimented my boobs in that black top once."

Suddenly, Luke grinned like an idiot, before he laughed.

"What?", Lorelai asked.

"Well..."

"What? Come on, Luke, you can tell me", Lorelai begged.

"Diane has a point", he said with a smirk, which earned him a hit on the upper arm. "Ow!", he said.

"If it wasn't Diane, who was it?", Lorelai said, dying to know.

Luke inhaled, then said, "She was jealous of this beautiful woman, who came into the diner regularly. She's funny, has the most beautiful smile, and even though she's addicted to coffee, I fell in love with her. She answers to the name of Lorelai."

Lorelai's heart was suddenly racing. "Luke", she whispered, and then felt his lips crashing into hers. Though initially thrown by the intensity of the kiss, Lorelai soon reciprocated it with the same fierceness. After the first passionate kiss, they took more time, and tickled each other's mouths with their tongues. A soft moan escaped Lorelai's throat, when she felt Luke's arms around her waist. He knelt in front of her, and soon Lorelai's hands were snaking around his back, before they settled on his taut ass.

The need for oxygen stopped them briefly, and Lorelai asked, "Why didn't you say something sooner?"

Luke panted a little, then replied, "Because I'm a stupid old coward. I tried, many, many times. I wanted to be sure you'd want me too."

"Listened to Cheap Trick lately?", Lorelai asked with a wink.

"What?"

"So you kinda like my boobs in the black top?", she was wondering.

"Used to. Now it's losing its prime spot to the bikini top you're wearing right now", Luke said with an impish grin.

He kissed her again, this time his hands moved upwards over her ribcage, before he cupped her breasts, while his tongue left her mouth and danced over the delicate skin of her neck. Lorelai was going out of her mind. Feeling his tongue and teeth on her skin, his warm breath against her ear, she could feel the wetness between her legs.

Lorelai unbuttoned his flannel, and touched the golden hair on his chest for the first time. "Soft", she murmured.

"Should we go inside?", Luke mumbled against the hollow at the base of her neck.

"Too hot", Lorelai replied between his kisses.

Luke lowered his head, and kissed her breasts through the spandex of her bikini, and smiled satisfied when her nipples hardened under the material.

"What if anyone sees us?", he asked.

"Babette's on vacation", Lorelai said distractedly. "Don't stop", she begged.

"Wouldn't dare", he assured her.

He fumbled with the bikini at the nape of her neck, and when he finally pulled the right string, he was rewarded with her now bare breasts. Lorelai pushed the flannel off of his broad shoulders, and let her hands glide down his arms. "Strong", she mumbled.

Luke tested the weight of Lorelai's breasts with his hands as his thumbs caressed her nipples until they hardened further. He brought his hands to the sides of her breasts, and pushed them together, before he lowered his head again, and licked the sensitive skin. He drew a nipple into his mouth, Lorelai let her head fall back, and she moaned softly at the contact of his tongue against her beaded nipples. "Luke", she groaned, "Oh God."

Lorelai almost exploded with anticipation from the feel of his stubbly cheeks against the delicate skin of her breasts. It fuelled her desire even more, and she opened his belt, eager to undress him as soon as possible to return the favor. Luke's hand stopped hers. "Not yet", he shook his head.

"But I want to", Lorelai said, anxious to feel his erection in her hands again, only this time minus the thick material of his shorts. "Please, let me touch you, Luke!"

He let go of her hand, and she opened the fly of his shorts. She snuck a couple fingers past his boxers, and stroked his hard member, which earned her a long guttural groan from Luke, who closed his eyes. "Stop", he ordered after only a few strokes.

"Why?", she asked confusedly, still stroking his cock.

"Need you, now", Luke said, and moved his hand to the denim-clad apex of her legs, where his fingers started drumming on the fabric.

Lorelai swore she had an orgasm right then and there. "Off, off, all of it", she said, and took off her bikini top, while Luke opened her jean hot pants, and pushed them down her legs, taking her bikini bottoms with him. Since both of them knelt on front of each other, their pants stopped soon after being opened. Lorelai stood up, and let her hot pants pool at her bare feet. Luke mirrored her action. Lorelai freed him of his boxers, and kissed him hungrily. She pressed her naked body against his, feeling his erection against her stomach.

They were so aroused that they were only able to communicate with one word sentences.

"Protection?", Luke asked as he ran his fingers through her curly hair.

"Pill", she said, and pulled him even closer with her hands on his ass.

"Leg", Luke said, and ran his hand down her long heg. He stopped at the back of her knee, and pulled it up. He repeated the motion with the other leg, and Lorelai closed her legs over his ass.

Luke took his rigid cock in his hand, and rubbed it along her wet slit a few times, before he entered her. It wasn't until then, when Lorelai realized they were standing under the chuppah. Her arms let go of his shoulders, and she reached for the carved wood above her head. "Will it support me?", she asked, the tone of her voice a mix of arousal and concern.

"Yes", Luke said, hoping his asssessment would be right. His hands under her ass, he finally started moving his cock in and out of her, Lorelai's leverage making it possible for both of them to feel the delicious friction of their hot bodies.

Luke tried to move faster, but he had to save his energy. Lorelai met each of his thrusts, and the base of his shaft hit her clit every time their bodies came crashing together. It felt so good, Luke didn't know how he was still pumping in and put of her, and hadn't already exploded. He leaned forward, and gently bit her nipples. Lorelai now groaned loudly, her climax quickly approaching.

"Shh", Luke said, adding, "You're too loud."

"I can't, oh God, you feel so good", she moaned.

"You too."

"You're so hard."

"You're so wet."

"Oh God, yes, Luke. I'm so close."

Luke knew he wouldn't last much longer, and picked up the pace, sliding deep into her wetness. Her walls contracted around his long, thick member. He roughly squeezed her ass, and she could feel his finger nails digging into her cheeks. "Jesus, Luke", she screamed as she tumbled over the edge. As she rode out the sensations of her orgasm, she could feel him empty into her in hot spurts.

Panting heavily, they clinged to each other for dear life. Luke kissed her temple, and let her legs down. Lorelai's legs were too weak, she collapsed on the grass. Luke quickly helped her up, and collected their clothes. "Come on, let's get you inside."

He supported her on their way inside, where he picked her up, and carried her upstairs. On wobbly legs himself, he went into the bathroom with her, where he cleaned her with a washcloth. Lorelai got very tired, and Luke took her to bed. He lied down next to her, and covered them with the light linen. Though it was very hot, Lorelai knew she would be able to sleep that night. She snuggled close to Luke.

"From now on, we're only having sex in beds", Luke announced, then yawned, adding, "I'm too old for sex outdoors, standing up."

"Sure, grandpa", Lorelai said tiredly as she patted his chest.

"Hey, Lorelai?", he asked softly.

"Hmmm", she grunted.

"What made you come into the diner today?", Luke asked.

"Gazpacho", she replied, before she finally fell asleep.

The unsatisfactory answer still in his head, Luke thought he could ask her tomorrow, and drifted off to sleep as well.

* * *

**I hope you liked it. Be nice and leave me a review on your way out. Have a great week!**


	14. Obsession

**AN: Hi readers! Thanks for all the lovely reviews, they mean so much to me, you're the best! _Junienmomo_ had boobs on her mind, and wrote her face-boob chapter for Relationship Renaissance, and without talking about that with her, I had boobs on my mind as well. So, here's my boob-inspired story. Enjoy!**

* * *

It was unbelieveable how much Lorelai could be obsessed with something. Or someone. In her teen years, she was obsessed with Chris, or her parents' stupid rules, or Tears for Fears. For the last 24 or so hours, she was obsessed with Rachel, or to be correct, she couldn't get the way her breasts were looking when she had caught Lorelai dressing Luke, GQ-ing him up, out of her head.

She looked down on her naked body, still wet from the shower. She cupped her breasts, frowning at their size, testing their weight in her palms. Lorelai shook her head in disapproval. "So damn small", she mumbled under her breath. Nothing compared to Rachel's big, perfect, round breasts with erect nipples. She dried her body, and couldn't help but wonder what Max thought about her breasts.

"Mom?", Rory yelled from downstairs.

"Yeah?"

"I'm off to Lane's. Say hi to Mr Medina from me!"

"OK! Bye hon!", Lorelai yelled back, and started with her make-up.

Half an hour later, she was dressed, and somehow has talked herself into a panic attack. She looked for the phone to call Sookie.

"Hello?", Jackson said.

"Jackson? It's Lorelai. Is Sookie there? It's an emergency", she said quickly.

"Hold on."

The longest 15 seconds later, she heard Sookie hustle in the background.

"Lorelai?", Sookie asked worriedly.

"Sookie, thank God you're home!"

"What's the matter, sweetie?", her best friend said.

"You probably are gonna think I'm some kind of crazy person, a lunatic! But you live on the other side, OK, so you may not understand what is going on with me here", Lorelai nervously babbled, pacing her bedroom.

"You're scaring me, what's wrong?"

"My boobs are too small! How could any man really love me, when I can't even give him a nice handful of boob?", Lorelai asked, and flopped down on the edge of her mattress.

"Has this anything to do with that thing between you and Rory a few months ago?"

"No. This is just me. Sans le boob", she said as she tugged on the skirt of her red dress.

"Lorelai, honey, where is this coming from?", her best friend wanted to know.

She loudly exhaled. "I can't tell you."

"Why not? Did you watch porn and now compare your breasts to a double D from silicon valley?"

"No, but you're not so far off."

"Then tell me. I promise I won't laugh."

"OK, so the other day when Rachel came into Luke's, she looked fabulous. Her boobs looked absolutely stunning. Believe me, I was stunned. They are the perfect shape, size, and her nipples were erect. They were perfect, her boobs were perfection. And I can't stop thinking about them. I'm in the shower, and look down at the sorry excuse for breasts on my body, and I can't believe why any man would look at me with tiny boobs like that."

Sookie looked at the ceiling, making a rough estimate as to how long it would take to get Lorelai back on track. Sounded like she was in too deep for a small pep talk.

"Lorelai, everyone looks different. Everybody has different... assets, if you will. I for one am very jealous of your long legs. No one can make a skirt work more like you do", Sookie explained appeasingly.

"You think so?", Lorelai said as she gnawed on the inside of her cheek, wondering if Sookie was just trying to calm her.

"I most certainly do. And look at it this way, if, and that's a big if, if you're really that unhappy with your boobs, you could get a boob-job. I on the other hand am stuck with my short legs. And don't compare yourself to Rachel. It's not healthy, honey."

"I know, but I somehow can't get her stupid breasts out of my head. And the thing is, they seem to be a perfect fit for Luke's long fingers!", Lorelai almost yelled.

"Luke's fingers? Lorelai, please don't get this wrong, but why do you even think about Rachel's breasts in Luke's hands? Is there something you need to tell me? Or yourself for that matter?"

Lorelai exhaled loudly again. "I don't know, OK? I just don't know. All I know is when Max and I had sex the last time, all I could think was 'Thank God his hands are smaller than Luke's, because that way he won't know how small my boobs are!'"

"Did you really just say that? And think that? Lorelai, when you think of Luke when you're with Max, then...", Sookie said before she was interrupted.

"I know. But I can't control my thoughts. This is ridiculous. What am I doing, Sookie?", Lorelai said desperately.

"I can't help you with that, honey. But when you think of another man when you're... you know, and it's not George Clooney, then maybe you have to rethink the relationship. But this is something you knew all along, right? You just needed me to tell you. You can't let the one poor guy take you out to dinner, and the other poor guy fixes your porch rail. What do you want, Lorelai?", Sookie asked with a persistance to her voice that was completely new to Lorelai.

"I need to change", Lorelai said as if it were the most natural response in the world.

"Change?", Sookie asked as she pulled her eyebrows up to her hair line.

"Yeah, this dress is... too red. I need to change. Max will be here any minute. If he hasn't changed his mind", she added, more to herself.

"Will you be alright?", Sookie asked worriedly.

"Yes, I'm fine. Sorry for ruining your night, Sook."

"You haven't. Bye, sweetie."

"Bye", Lorelai nodded and hung up.

She changed into a black dress, when she heard the doorbell ring.

Walking down the stairs and trying to put her shoes on at the same time, Lorelai said, "You're annoyingly on time again! Ugh. Okay, stairs then shoes, stairs then shoes."

When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Luke in front of her.

"Oh hi."

"Hey. You're all dressed up", he remarked.

"Oh, I'm going out", Lorelai explained.

"Oh, sorry. I forgot my toolbox so I just thought I'd come pick it up."

Luke came in, and looked at Lorelai expectantly.

"Oh yeah. It's right over here. Rory and I couldn't lift it or we would've brought it to you and then we got used to having it here, so we named it Bert and we'd say 'Goodnight Bert' and it'd say 'Goodnight girls' and we spend too much time home alone."

"Well, thanks for taking care of it", he said with a nod and took Bert.

"Our pleasure", Lorelai smiled as he placed the toolbox on the hall table.

"So Rachel left", he said nonchalantly.

"What!?", Lorelai said.

"Last night. She left. For good", he replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh no, Luke I'm so sorry. What happened?", Lorelai asked.

"Ah, it's hard to explain."

"I can't believe it. I thought she was really in it for the long haul this time", she said.

"Yeah well, she had her reasons."

"Really? What?", Lorelai asked.

"Um, she uh, said my heart wasn't in it."

"Well, I think you maybe were burnt a few too many times, and were just... careful", she speculated.

"I guess. That's only part of it though", Luke replied.

"Do you maybe wanna sit down? This doesn't seem like an entryway conversation", she said and led the way to the couch.

"What the hell is an entryway conversation?", he asked with a frown.

"You know, a chat with the mailman, or the pizza delivery guy. 'Sign here', 'That'll be $28.50', that kind of thing", she explained.

"Are there any other room specific conversations?"

"Sure."

"Like?"

"Let's see... In the kitchen you can talk about food, or the plumbing, in the bathroom you talk about shower gel and other products. In the Gilmore house the dining room serves as the stage for accusations, criticism, and a general expression of disapproval. This living room has seen many confessions on this very couch. So, tell me, what's the other part of it."

Luke released the breath he was holding.

"Look, with Rachel, it's always been easy. When she was around, I mean. We got along, the everyday life was working for the two of us, but generally, I don't think we ever could agree on major lifestyle choices. She left, came back, I was still there, and somehow it all worked again. Until she left again. Yes, I became more careful over the years, but somehow I never learned my lesson."

"What lesson?"

"I don't think I should have let her use me all those years. With her job taking her far away, I think I was always an option for her. The thing is, I don't wanna be an option. I don't want to be there for her as some sort of plan B."

"But I thought she wanted to stay for real this time", Lorelai remarked.

"Maybe. But I didn't want her to stay this time", he said.

"Wow. I can't believe it." _Literally. He lets a woman with boobs like that just walk away?_

"And she probably didn't like me spending so much time here with you", he confessed.

"Yeah, she mentioned something like that to me. Did you tell her that you had gotten over her?", Lorelai wanted to know.

"She kind of figured that out on her own. She, um, doesn't believe we're just friends", Luke said, and looked her in the eyes for the briefest of moments.

"Wow, really?", Lorelai said, and avoided looking at him as well.

"Yes. I think she might be right with that."

Lorelai's heart rate picked up. She nervously tugged on the hem of her skirt. "You think so?"

"Don't you?", he asked.

"I don't know Luke. I always consider you a friend. I'm aware that you do stuff for me and Rory that might go beyond the friendship thing, and-", she said before he interrupted her.

"So do you. You painted my diner. You call me when you have a chicken loose in the house", Luke said and now was looking deeply in her eyes..

"So we're more than friends. What are we?", she asked as she returned his look.

"I'm not sure", he said coolly.

"I can't believe you let her go", Lorelai said half to herself.

"What?!", Luke said with knitted brows.

"She has the greatest boobs known to man!", Lorelai squealed.

"Are you crazy?"

"I never would have thought a man, any man, would let a woman with boobs like that go."

"Lorelai, what are you talking about?"

"Didn't you see her boobs the other day? Well, you have seen them many times, maybe you don't notice their degree of perfection anymore", Lorelai said which earned her more and more confused looks from Luke.

"Oh my God. I can't believe this", he replied, with his hands on his cheeks, his elbows on his knees.

"Well neither can I. I'm sorry. You must think I'm out of my mind..."

"I _know_ you are. Lorelai, do you really think I put up with Rachel's crap because she has big breasts?", Luke asked, sternly looking Lorelai in the eyes.

"So what are you saying?", Lorelai asked, returning his look.

"Uh, I'm saying that I don't care about those things. I want you", he declared, his eyes still fixed on hers.

"But my boobs are so small!"

"Would you please stop?", he asked as she scooted over right next to her on the couch. "I can't believe you're saying all that crap! You're the most self-confident person I know. I certainly don't need to tell you how beautiful you are."

"Well, apparently you do...", she said with a shy smile.

"Your eyes are beautiful, I love your curly hair, and I have to say that I was tempted more than once to touch your ass, especially in that one pair of dark jeans", he admitted as he touched her cheek.

"Luke, technically, I'm seeing Max, though I don't know where the hell he is at the moment."

"Oh I'm right here", a voice said from the foyer.

Luke and Lorelai both turned around to see Max standing behind them.

"I tried to be late. Apparently, that was a mistake", Max said.

"Max, how long have you been standing there?", she asked, and walked towards him.

"Long enough to think you really are obsessed with some other woman's breasts. What is going on, Lorelai?", he asked angrily.

"I'm sorry, Max. But I can't do this. This is not what I want, and I'm not so sure you want it either. I think you should go", Lorelai said as she looked at him.

"You're dumping me for him?", he said as he pointed his finger to Luke.

She simply nodded, and he left as quickly as he had appeared.

Lorelai felt like she was watching a movie version of the scene that has just happened. It was all so surreal. She stood in her foyer, and watched Max walk to his car and drive away. She returned to the living room, where Luke still sat on her couch.

"You were awfully quiet", she remarked as she sat back down next to him.

Luke just looked at her.

"What was I supposed to say?", he asked her.

"How the hell should I know? Shouldn't you have defended my honor or something?"

"Your honor? You're pretty capable of doing that yourself. Besides, he didn't do or say anything that needed an honor-defending interference."

Lorelai nodded.

"So, what are we gonna do now?", Luke asked her.

"Well, since I had planned on going out to dinner, I'm getting hungry."

"I can cook us something, if you like. What do you have in your fridge?"

"Let's see. Water, ranch dressing, leftover Chinese food, leftover pizza, and my light blue angora sweater", she listed.

"What is that in the fridge for?", he wanted to know.

"I read in a magazine that it'll lose less hair that way."

"Maybe I should go to Doose's to buy some things, get back here, and start cooking. What are you saying?"

"Sounds good, you want me to come with you?"

"You don't need to. Anything you don't like to eat?"

"Lucas! I am shocked! We've known each other for years, and you still don't know what I don't like? Anything that's green and nutritional for starters, some of the red stuff-", she said but he cut her off.

"OK, I get it. I'm buying vegetables for sure, but I can promise you that you'll like them", Luke said and got up.

He walked to the kitchen and started inspecting her pots and cooking utensils.

"Seems like you're well equipped", he remarked.

"Thank you James, so are you", Lorelai said with sparkly eyes.

"What?", Luke asked her confusedly.

"Never Say Never Again. It's what Fatima Blush says to Bond on her boat before they go diving", she explained, but all it earned her were more confused looks from Luke.

"OK, I'll be back in a few."

* * *

Three hours later, the end credits of Never Say Never Again were rolling.

"So, that thing you said before, the well-equipped thing, did you mean that? Because Fatima Blush said it, and immediately after she took her clothes off, and they...", he started

"Were entering the bone zone, going to pound town, going downtown-"

"I get it", he cut her off, adding, "So, did you mean it?"

"Maybe. I guess. Who knows what's going on under all that flannel... Did you like the movie?", Lorelai asked.

"Yeah, it wasn't bad", he nodded.

"I loved the stir-fry."

"Good, I liked cooking it for you."

"Aren't you gonna kiss me?", Lorelai asked him bluntly.

"I really want to", he said and pressed his lips to hers.

Lorelai instantly opened her mouth and let him massage her tongue with hers.

"You know, I have a boat", he said after they had separated for air.

"Really? A yacht?"

"No, it doesn't even float. Maybe one day it will, and we can reenact the scene...", he suggested with an impish grin.

"So cocky, I like it", she remarked, and touched his crotch.

"Lorelai", he moaned.

"What? Is this not OK?", she asked worriedly.

"Believe me, it's more than OK. But are you sure?"

"Very", she said reassuringly.

"But we weren't even out on a date yet", he objected.

"We just had dinner and a movie, sounds like a date to me...", she calmed him and kissed him deeply.

When his moans became too much for her to bear, she led them upstairs to her bedroom, where they undressed slowly. Lorelai congratulated herself for getting rid of the fake silicon breasts before he had returned from Doose's. Luke showered her breasts with kisses, connected the freckles with his tongue, and tried to memorize how each and every patch of her skin tasted.

"What's the verdict", she asked nervously as he looked up into her eyes.

"Lorelai, you're beautiful, and for the record, you have perfect breasts", he assured her, and went back to kissing and licking her hardened nipples. "So beautiful", he mumbled.

Lorelai couldn't keep her hands off of him. She stroked every inch she could reach while he nuzzled the soft underside of her breasts.

After his tongue blazed a trail of kisses along her flat stomach, he cautiously dipped a finger into her wet heat. He watched Lorelai closely, waited for every reaction to his ministrations. Soon he replaced his finger with his swollen manhood, and entered her carefully, to which she responded with a long moan.

"God, you're tight", he whispered as he glided in and out of her wetness.

"Jesus, Luke, don't stop", she groaned.

He took his time, moved slowly in and out of her, kissed her neck, sucked the tender flesh into his mouth, and whispered sweet nothings in her ear. After a while, he firmly grabbed her shoulders, and helped her sit up, while he leaned back, not losing their connection once. Lorelai was now straddling his hips, and started moving up and down his pole. His hands cupped her ass, and he trusted into her every time her pelvis came crashing down. "I'm close", she said.

"With you", Luke said, and pulled her down to kiss her.

As her hard nipples were rubbing against the fine hair on his chest, his hands snaked around her back. He held her close to him, feeling her inner walls tighten around his cock. Lorelai's moans got louder, and he knew he could stop going through baseball statistics in his head. Her orgasm rippled through her, and pulled him over the edge with her.

Luke wiped the sheen of sweat from her forehead with his hand, and kissed her passionately.

"Still can't believe you freaked out because of someone else's boobs", he said, and slightly shook his head.

"Maybe I'm the first one to tell you, but Rachel is intimidatingly beautiful."

"You were intimidated by her?"

"A little bit. Don't get me wrong. I always knew you're handsome, now I know you're a sex God as well, but I didn't think your ex-girlfriend would be this pretty."

"Wow, you're insulting me while I'm still in you?", he joked.

"No time better than the present", she chuckled.

"It's hard for me to believe you're intimidated my anyone, much less someone who is just pretty to you. You're beautiful, you're the most beautiful girl I've ever seen."

"Thanks James, so are you", she repeated her earlier statement.

"What's with the 007 obsession?", he asked her, as he continued to stroke her back.

"No obsession. Just like this particular movie. Am I getting heavy?", Lorelai wanted to know, and tried to get out of his embrace, which he wouldn't allow.

"No, stay. I like you close. Your hair smells good. I want us to stay like this forever", he said.

"Wow, who knew Luke Danes would be so romantic in bed!"

"Who knew there are ways to shut Lorelai Gilmore up!"

"Honestly? Not that many. Less than a handful. No pun intended", she smiled.

"Huh, so it's some kind of exclusive club?"

"Yeah"

"Membership only?"

"Yup, and I was thinking, since I am the president of this club, after tonight I might just stop recruiting new members altogether. What do you say?"

"Where do I sign?", Luke asked.

"Here", she said and pursed her lips.

* * *

**Hope you liked it, reviewers are my favorite readers!**


	15. Farewell, Beenie!

**AN**: Hello, dearest readers! I know it's been forever since I last wrote a Coffee&amp;Flannel one-shot. But this one has been in the works for at least a month. OK, let's get them naked, shall we?

* * *

**Farewell, Beenie!**

This was the first day in a long time where Lorelai felt good without trying hard. She had a good hair day, her new lip gloss was the perfect match for her new blouse, and only few men could resist to look at her as she flipped her hair for the umpteenth time this morning. Rory had just gone off to school, so she sat alone at a table by the window at Luke's, finishing her chocolate chip pancakes, which Luke had decorated with more fruit than usual. And she gladly ate it, too, since she knew that this would be the best way to get another cup of the dark brown deliciousness they call coffee.

She had noticed that there had been more fruit on her breakfast plates lately. Lorelai polished off her last piece of strawberry, and patiently waited for Luke to come by and notice it. _Maybe I should have worn the blouse with the deeper v-neck..._

"Lorelai, will I see you at Beenie Morrison's on Saturday night?", Miss Patty pulled her out of her thoughs.

"I don't know, Patty, maybe", Lorelai shrugged.

"Oh honey, you're not still hung up on Rory's dad, are you? Sure he is a handsome devil, but you have to move on, dear. It's a shame for a beauty like you to sit at home alone wallowing. It's been months since he left", Patty remarked and sat down at Lorelai's table.

"It's not that, Patty. I just don't know if I should go to that party. I don't know Beenie Morrison all that well."

"Who cares, he invited everyone, and it will be quite the event. If you don't want to leave Rory alone with Dean on a Saturday night, just bring her along!", Patty offered.

"She'll probably spend the night at Lane's anyway", Lorelai said distractedly as Luke walked by her table with a full pot of coffee.

Miss Patty watched them intently.

"Tell me, honey, have you been on a date since, you know?", Patty asked nicely.

"No, I haven't. There simply hasn't been an opportunity. Besides Kirk, I mean", Lorelai smiled patiently, wishing the interrogation soon to be over.

Finally Luke came to their table to take Patty's order. Lorelai smiled at him and showed him her empty plate. His face stayed the same, so Lorelai cleared her throat.

"Um, Luke, could I maybe get a refill?", she asked shyly.

"No", he said sternly.

"Why not?", she asked him.

"How many cups did you have?"

"Three cups of coffee, one fruit cup", she replied dryly.

"You didn't order a fruit cup."

"Then why did you put all the fruit on my plate?"

"Do you want to get another cold?"

"Eventually. Michel has already booked his next vacation, so it would be really great if I got sick right before and he'd have to stay", she said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Luke snorted, but refilled her mug .

"Luke, dear, Beenie Morrison's going away party is this Saturday, you'll come right?", Patty asked innocently.

"Oh yeah, I'll be there. I'll be going there shirtless and we'll all have a great time dancing to the Miami Sound Machine", he deadpanned.

"This is just such a waste. Two of the most beautiful single people in Stars Hollow home alone on a Saturday night. No wonder our population is decreasing...", she said with her eyebrows raised to her hairline.

"I'm sure Taylor will come up with something. Or he'll just clone us all", Luke mumbled and went back behind the safe space of his counter.

* * *

By Saturday afternoon, she didn't care if she knew Beenie Morrison. Lorelai felt it was time for a date. She got her hair done and went to the beauty parlor. It felt nice to get all dolled up, even if it was just for a stupid party for a neighbor she didn't really know. Who was she kidding? She needed to get out of the house, and since half the town would be there, she knew it would be better than some blind date with a boring guy. Lorelai followed the path between her and Babette's houses, crossed the street, made her way over to Plum Street, followed the music and found herself in front of Beenie Morrison's house a few moments later. The scent of the barbecue was in the air, and Lorelai's stomach rumbled in response. An hour later, she had tried everything from the grill as well as Sookie's green salad.

"So, how was it?", Sookie asked her best friend.

"The salad? Not bad for a salad. Though it doesn't come close to the fried feta with spring onions and honey you made last week. How do you know Beenie Morrison anyway?"

"I don't. Jackson was invited. He knows him because he used to live across from here. He's a nice guy. He told us earlier that he sold the house for twice the amount he had bought it for. Apparently the guy who bought it told him he wanted to buy the house no matter what, mumbled something about an oasis, and signed the papers", Sookie explained.

"Oasis? Britpop is so last millennium!", Lorelai remarked.

"Have you seen Luke?", Sookie asked her.

"Is he here?"

"He's been talking to Jackson earlier."

"Wow, who would have thunk?"

"I know. I'll get more salad, you want something?", Sookied asked.

"No, I'm good", Lorelai replied.

She went looking for Luke. It felt odd walking through a stranger's house. Most of the stuff was already packed in boxes, except for everything kitchen-related.

"Hi Lorelai", Andrew greeted her.

"Hey Andrew, have you seen Luke?"

"Not for a while."

"OK, thanks anyway", she said to Andrew, and walked in the direction of the kitchen.

"Oh, there you are, sugar", Babette croaked.

"Hi Babette", Lorelai said politely.

"Patty said you'd come, that's nice. Where's Rory?"

"She's spending the night at Lane's, they're working on a plan on how to get the newest music now that Napster's shut down", Lorelai explained.

"So you're havin' a little night out, huh?", Babette said and smiled suggestively.

"Sure, Babette, have you seen Luke?"

"Yeah, he was just in the kitchen with Beenie and Morey. Patty! Guess what happened to Gloria!", Babette yelled to an invisible Miss Patty, and rushed outside.

Lorelai let out a sigh. She felt like she was on a treasure hunt, and everyone was instructed to give her the wrong clues. When she entered the kitchen, it was empty. She grabbed a beer from the fridge, and stepped out on the back porch.

"Hey."

"Luke! You scared me!", she said startled.

He was leaning against the porch rail, a bottle of beer in his hand, and he smiled at her.

"Sorry", he simply said.

"Are you hiding?", she wondered.

"No. I'm just enjoying the silence."

"Like Dave Gahan? How come you're here? You normally complain about seeing all those people at work, and now you're volunteering to see them?", Lorelai wanted to know.

"Beenie doesn't come by the diner usually, so I wanted to say goodbye. Who knows what the buyer will be like. According to Beenie's wife, he was a moron."

"You think everyone's a moron."

Luke was silent for a short while. "No, I don't. I don't think Rory's a moron. I don't think you're a moron."

"Wow, not being a moron in your eyes made my day!", she joked and took a swig of beer.

He smiled at that comment and gulped down half of his beer.

"So, how come _you're_ here?", Luke asked Lorelai.

"I, uh, I wanted to get out of the house. And this is the closest I've come to a date in a while", she admitted.

"This is what you call a date?"

"Why not? I spend the evening with people I like."

"Yes, but people didn't pick you up, drove you to a restaurant, and took you home afterwards."

"Are those the Luke Danes date rules?", she asked him as she batted her eyes.

"No. Those are the general rules that define a date", he insisted.

"I wouldn't know. I don't care for that stiff stuff", she informed him.

Luke raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"Dirty, I know. But seriously. I've had the best time when I wasn't on a real date, and I've had the worst time when I was on such a defined date", Lorelai told him and took a sip of her beer.

"Yeah, I've had those."

"You have?", Lorelai asked him incredulously.

"Sure. Why?"

"You don't seem like the dating type", she said honestly.

"Neither do you."

"Yeah, maybe I'm not. But I'm just so sick of the idea of dating. Say I'd meet someone from Hartford, and we'd really hit it off, it'd get serious, and he wanted me and Rory to move in with him. I could never sell my house, or move away from Stars Hollow. Never!"

"So? There's guys in Stars Hollow, you don't have to date someone from Hartford", Luke said, desperate trying to sound nonchalant.

"Who is there? Kirk asked me two weeks ago, and I'm still not over it!", she said dramatically.

"Well, there's Andrew, Bootsy, Al, Joe, me, and Pete", Luke listed.

"Please, I've seen how Bootsy behaves in public, I don't need to see him on a date. I wonder what Bootsy is like on a date. I wonder what _you're_ like on a date!"

"Only one way to find out...", Luke said and couldn't believe he did.

"Did you just ask me out?", Lorelai said half in shock, half-enchanted.

"I think I did", Luke said shyly and finished his beer.

"Wow, um. I don't know what to say", she said, after just a second adding, "That's not true, I know exactly what to say. I'd love to go on a date with you."

"Are you sure?", he asked insecurely.

"I'm sure. But you don't seem to be sure", Lorelai noticed, adding, "We don't have to do this, it was just a suggestion."

But Luke wanted to show her how sure he was. He just couldn't believe that everything went so fast. He quickly closed the distance between them and used his free arm to pull her close to him. Lorelai was taken by surprise, but immediately liked their body contact.

"I'm so sure", he whispered before he kissed her with urgency.

If her mouth had been open, she would have gasped. Instead, a soft moan escaped her throat as his lips pressed against hers and the tip of his tongue tickled her. She readily opened her mouth to grant him access. His lips were soft and his left arm held her close to him. She could hear her fast heartbeat and the blood rushing in her ears. Luke had been so quick and ardent that all she could do was react. When she came to her senses, she snaked an arm around his back, and moved her tongue against his.

Luke wanted nothing more than to have both of his hands free to touch her, so he pulled back, welcomed a lungful of oxygen, put his empty beer bottle on the floor boards, and quickly got back to Lorelai, who looked at him like she was seeing him for the first time. And she really liked what she saw. She guessed his stubble was four days old, which meant it looked darker than the usual three day stubble. Before she could file this picture away for all eternity, both of his hands were on her shoulders, and he slowly stroked down her arms. She quickly put her beer down as well, and stepped closer to him. Her hands cupped his neck, grabbed his hat, let it drop to the floor and she pulled him down for a slow kiss.

His hands made their journey from her shoulder blades down her back before they settled on her butt cheeks. As the kiss got more heated, he squeezed them and groaned a little when she started moving her hips against his. Lorelai mirrored his action and let her hands roam his muscular back and he could feel her smile against his mouth when she reached his firm ass. Too soon they had to part for air.

Lorelai took a moment to touch her now swollen lips. "Um, this was unexpected."

Luke nodded, and touched her cheek. "But still good?"

"So good", she smiled and smoothed his furrowed brow.

He hugged her and put his head on her shoulder. Her hands quickly found their way back to his ass. She couldn't get enough of the feel of it in her palms. "Finally", she murmered.

"Hm?"

"I can finally touch your ass", she said with a chuckle.

"I would have let you do it way sooner, you know", he said against the side of her neck.

"How soon?"

"As soon as you laid eyes on me."

"You're so full of it! You hated me when we first met!", she told him knowingly.

"No, I didn't. I was just trying to find out if you were able to say one normal word", he explained.

"Normal words are overrated", she said with a wide smile.

He started to kiss the soft skin on her neck. It immediately gave her goosebumps on her entire body.

"Luke", she moaned.

"Yes?"

"Oh, nothing, I just needed to say your name I guess", she giggled.

"I like it", he smiled against her neck, and drew the delicate skin into his mouth.

Her sharp intake of air spurred him on. He wanted to kiss her everywhere, mark every patch of skin, brand her as his. But he suddenly became aware of their surroundings, the music in the background mixed with the chatter of the other townies. He slowly pulled back and cleared his throat.

"Do you wanna get out of here?", he asked her impishly.

"Why Butch, where are you gonna take me", she said in her worst Southern Belle voice.

"Somewhere other than here", he said, took her hand and went inside.

As they each separately said goodbye to their neighbors and friends, Lorelai could barely take her eyes off him. She immediately knew it was because she had never seen him smile so much. Seeing him like this, shaking hands, receiving friendly claps on the shoulder seemed so foreign, and yet so right. He looked happy. Absentmindedly, she waved goodbye to Sookie, and went outside to wait for him on the sidewalk.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally came out, and quickly walked towards her.

"Hey", she smiled.

"Hey back", he said as he grinned like an idiot.

"What now?", she asked impatiently.

"Now I walk you home", he decided, and took her hand.

Slowly they made their way to the Crap Shack, desperate to take every detour. When they were turning into her street, they walked even slower.

"So, that date you're taking me on, what's that gonna be like?", she asked him.

"I'll pick you up, we'll drive to a restaurant, eat, drink, talk, have fun, then I'll bring you home. Have you never been on a date?", he tried to joke.

"Where are you gonna take me?"

"Wherever you want", he said, but regretted it immediately. "Within a reasonable distance."

"Luke, just take me somewhere that's not in Stars Hollow, and we'll be fine", she offered.

He simply nodded, and they walked the steps up her porch. Lorelai swallowed, and fumbled with her keys.

"Wow, so you finally got the memo and locked the door?"

"Rory", she said. "She left after me. She's spending the night at Lane's."

He leaned in to kiss her goodnight. The kiss started sweetly, but soon his hands were buried in her hair, and they deepened the kiss. All Lorelai could think about was how they were pressed against each other a mere 30 minutes earlier, and how she felt the desire surge through her veins.

"Take me to bed, Luke", she whispered.

Her words only intensified his kisses as his hands stroked her back, her sides, and carefully brushed against the sides of her breasts. She turned away, quickly unlocked the door, and pulled him in. As soon as they crossed the doorstep, both allowed themselves to explore more territory of the other's body. Their movements were accompanied my louder moans. When they reached the downstairs landing, Lorelai pushed the unbuttoned flannel off of Luke's broad shoulders, and started walking up the stairs. He followed her readily and reached for the hem of her dress to let his hands stroke her long legs. He took off his t-shirt on the way upstairs, and Lorelai shrugged her sweater off her shoulders. She looked at her bedroom door and made a mental inventory of the messiness behind it.

"I've seen your clothes all over the room, Lorelai. No need to be ashamed", he replied to her unspoken question, and unzipped her sleeveless summer dress.

She took it off and stood in front of him only wearing a tiny thong. Luke swallowed, his mind going wild when he thought of their bodies pressed against each other on Beenie's back porch. She walked into her room, and soon after he entered too. She loosened the belt on his jeans, and nibbled on his ear. Could she smell a hint of cologne? He let out a deep guttural groan when she unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans and casually grazed his bulge. He took her hands into his and kissed her passionately. Luke started to stroke the naked skin on her back, and Lorelai immediately pushed the jeans from his slim hips. She took his ass in her hands, and pulled him closer to her, feeling his manhood against her stomach. He turned her around, anxious to press his lips to her shoulder as he pushed her hair to the side. His fingers softly glided down her arms which gave her goosebumps all over her body. She could feel his hot breath on her neck. She moaned as he let his tongue trail to the side of her neck where he sucked her creamy skin into his mouth.

Lorelai's head fell back on his shoulder, she moaned loudly, and Luke snuck a peak down her front to see her nipples screaming for attention. For the first time he touched her breasts and felt a wave of arousal as their peaks pebbled in his palms. She started to gyrate her ass against his growing erection in order to distract herself from the immense pleasure his touch brought her. Lorelai felt him harden more when she bent her knees to rub her cheeks against him in an upward motion. She repeated it over and over.

"Lorelai", he growled.

Luke turned her around yet again, and his lips crashed into hers for an intense kiss. His tongue took possession of her mouth while she tried to push down his dark blue boxer briefs. He pushed her down on the bed, and quickly took off his boots, only to rid himself of all of his clothing. Lorelai sat on the edge of her bed and watched him curiously.

"Lay back", he said with a hoarse voice.

She obliged, he sank on his knees, and pressed featherlight kissed over her stomach. At the same time, he hooked his fingers into the waistband of her thong and pulled it down her legs. His hands stroked the smooth skin of her legs before his mouth was covering hers again. She moaned at the feeling of the fine dusting of hair on his chest against her hardening nipples. Luke massaged her breasts, soon replaced his hands with his mouth, and suckled the peaks of her mounds.

Lorelai could barely hold still as he drew her nipples deep into his mouth and gently bit them. He watched her face he entire time, reading her every reaction, listening to her breathing. She wet her lips with the tip of her tongue, while she willed him lower, way lower than that, doing exactly what he was doing at the moment.

"Oh God", she moaned, "lower, please."

Luke looked her in the eyes and found them clouded with desire. He kissed his way down her stomach, passed her belly button and allowed himself to look at her sex for the first time. Lorelai spread her legs, and lifted her feet which she put on the edge of the mattress. He found her bare except for a strip of dark hair. Luke hesitated.

"What's wrong?", Lorelai asked him.

He cleared his throat. "Nothing. You're beautiful. I have never..."

"I had a little me day today", she shrugged.

Luke only smiled, and wondered if any man on the planet would get his hair pulled out and pretend it was for himself. The tentalizing scent of her arousal brought him back to reality. A reality where Lorelai was lying in front of him, and without a date first trusting him enough to let him see every side of her. His tongue darted out and he licked her slit from bottom to top. Lorelai almost passed out from the sensation of the velvety feel against her skin. She could feel his hands under her ass, lifting her slightly, massaging her cheeks.

When he tasted her juices, he groaned and she felt the vibrations in her entire body. His tongue moved from her clit to her entrance, where he penetrated her as much as he could. Then he went back to her clit, and drew it into his mouth, which earned him a deep guttural groan from Lorelai. Luke continued with the stimulation, but soon Lorelai pushed his shoulders back and he looked at her in confusion.

"I don't wanna wait any longer, Luke", she said and beckoned him higher.

Luke kissed his way up her body, spending more time nuzzling her breasts and licking her erect nipples. Lorelai's hands snaked around his back and pulled him further up. She couldn't wait to kiss him again, taste herself on his lips. She sucked his tongue into her mouth and gently massaged it with her tongue. He lay on his side and Lorelai on her back, while he was drawing lazy circles on the skin of her stomach. Lorelai then turned away from him, and took a condom out of her nighstand drawer. She handed it to Luke who asked her with his eyes if she really wanted to take the next step.

"Yes", she nodded, and pressed a soft kiss to his mouth.

He put the condom on, and before he could lean over to her, she moved over to straddle him. Lorelai grabbed his hard cock and positioned it at her entrance and sank down to him, making them both moan. After a few moments of just enjoying the feeling of him buried deep inside her, she started to move her hips. She knew after his tongue treatment earlier, she wouldn't last very long, so she leaned back a little to reduce the friction. Luke's hands moved from her ass to her breasts, and his eyes couldn't decide if they wanted to see their connection, his cock slick with her juices, or her bouncing breasts. Lorelai slid up and down his pole as her moans echoed from the walls. Luke's orgasm built steadily, she felt too good, it all felt just too right. His hands on her ass urged her to lean forward so that he could kiss her passionately. Her movements almost came to a halt, and she started to clench her inner walls and massage his cock inside her.

"Jesus", Luke groaned loudly.

He held her hips in his hands, and thrusted upwards into her, which made her yelp in pleasure. She started moving faster, and rode him powerfully as she rubbed her clit against his pubic bone. Luke moved with her, and he knew he wouldn't last much longer. He squinted his eyes as he faught the inevitable. Her inner walls started contracting around his throbbing cock.

"Oh, yes, Luke", Lorelai moaned, as her orgasm rippled through her body and her bones turned to jelly.

His face contorted as he exploded inside her, and he repeated her name over and over. Lorelai lay her head on his chest as both came down from their high. Luke kissed her temple, and stroked her back.

"I'm crushing you", she said, and rolled to her side.

Luke quickly went to the bathroom to discard the condom, and grabbed her bathrobe from the bathroom door.

"I thought you might like this", he said as he came back to her bedroom and handed her the bathrobe.

"Thanks", she said, but didn't put it on. "Why?"

"Maybe you wanted to talk, but didn't feel like putting your clothes on, and don't want to be naked with me in the room", he babbled.

Luke was nervous. She smiled gently.

"Hon, you were just inside me, I don't feel uncomfortable right now. On the contrary", she said and rose to her knees.

She reached out her arms to Luke who was still standing next to the bed. She pulled him to her and hugged him.

"I don't want you to get cold", he shrugged.

"Then come back to bed and keep me warm."

He obliged, and soon he held her tight to his chest.

"So, um, we're still going to have that date, right?", he asked her with uncertainty in his voice.

"Of course we are, why wouldn't we be?", she asked. "Oh my god, you think I just used you for sex!"

"What? No! If anything I used you!"

"Come on, Luke, we're consenting adults here. No one used anybody. It's not what I had imagined when I got up this morning, but I'm not regretting this. It was pretty spectacular, don't you think?", she asked him.

He exhaled in relief, and nodded. "Yeah, you're incredible."

"Well, we've established that years ago", she joked. "You're pretty amazing yourself."

"I like to think so", he said with a smug grin. "I'm just happy everyone's still at Beenie Morrison's place and they didn't hear you scream."

She playfully smacked him on the shoulder. They lay cuddled together for a while and neither one of them talked.

"Do you want to spend the night?", she asked him.

"What about Rory?"

"I told you, she's staying at Lane's. Don't you listen?", she grinned.

"No, I was busy imagining the color of your underwear when we were standing on your porch."

"I hope I didn't let you down."

"No, I just thought we'd wait a few years before we wore matching clothes."

"Maybe it's a sign."

"For what?"

"That we're already a step ahead."

"Ahead of what?"

"Ahead of our time."

"What?"

"Just ignore me. I'm sleepy. So it's either talking nonsense or having a laughing fit."

Luke drew patterns on her skin with his finger tips as her breathing slowed. As soon as she fell asleep, he carefully snuck out of her bed and went downstairs to pick up their strewn about clothes, before he cuddled back up to her. She stirred a little when he came back to bed.

"Where'd you go?", she asked him sleepily.

"Downstairs."

"Why?"

"I picked up our clothes."

"Why?", Lorelai asked with a furrowed brow.

"I didn't want Rory to see in case she comes home really early."

Lorelai chuckled a little. "You're so sweet. But there's no reason to worry all the time, Luke. Just relax, OK?"

He turned on his side to spoon behind her. She took his arm and put it on her hip while she leaned her head back against his shoulder. The mixture of her scent and her reassuring words let him calm down quickly. Why was it so easy for him to relax when she just said so? Luke had no idea, but he was sure he'd ask her on their date.

* * *

**Oh, yes, I know I did't mention Jess. Just picture him lying in bed, reading Punk Planet and listening to The Ramones... I hope you still liked it. Leave me a review on your way out if you will. Reviewers are my favorite readers! **


	16. Want

**AN:** Hi, my wonderful readers. I hope you're in the mood for some smut!

* * *

**Want**

_The bell jingled and he knew that is was Lorelai. Not because because he had super powers, or because the bells magically decided to change their sound slightly when she enters. He knew it, because she immediately started chatting. So he turned around, to find her still babbling about God knows what. Luke noticed how short her skirt looked, possibly shorter than he had ever seen her wear. _

_"Calm down, what's up?", he asked her as he automatically reached below the counter to grab her favorite mug and filled it with the last coffee of the day. _

_To his surprise she didn't sit on a stool at the counter, but on a chair at one of the tables. As soon as she sat, she put her feet up on the chair to her left and he came around the counter to bring her the coffee._

_This was weird, she was silent, and beckoned him to sit down. _

_"What's the matter, is Rory OK?", he asked worriedly. _

_"Shhh", she said, and took a sip of coffee, as he sat down to her right. _

_He watched her somewhat baffled. Soon she raised her right leg onto the table, which earned her a disapproving look. She's seen them, not from him though. Lorelai took another sip, and put the mug down on the table. As soon as her hand was free, she trailed her fingers along the buttons of her blouse. She reached her skirt, and her hands went further down still. Luke watched her with a mixture of curiosty and incomprehension. But he couldn't see her hand anymore, it was in the blind corner between the table and her leg. Luke focused on her face, she just closed her eyes, and her mouth opened an fraction of an inch. _

_"Lorelai, what are you doing?", he asked, but knew the answer._

_A moan escaped her lips. Faster than he could register, her hand appeared again, reached for his face, and her thumb traced the outline of his bottom lip. He could smell her arousal and it made him almost faint. His tongue darted out to lick the sweet juice off his lip-_

He woke up with a start. The first thing he did was lick his lips. Disappointment spread over his features. It was just a dream. After a quick glimpse to his alarm clock he decided he might as well get up a few minutes early. Only then did he notice his erection, and groaned when he thought back to his dream. He sat on the edge of his bed, and stroked his hard member a few times through his sweatpants, but decided it wasn't worth it. The hot wetness of the water in his shower tried to persuade him otherwise, but he turned it cold, and went about his day.

When Lorelai entered the diner a good three hours later, late as usual, he couldn't stand to look at her. So he went to the kitchen and sent Ceasar out to handle the breakfast rush. Every now and then he looked out to Lorelai and Rory, the former wearing a skirt that was remarkably longer than the one in his dream. When he looked at her the next time, he saw her leave. He left out a deep breath. This would be tough, seeing her every day, sometimes multiple times a day.

After a long, exhausting day, he was finally upstairs, showered and rewarded himself with a cold beer and the sports news. He was pulled out of his thoughts when the phone rang.

"What?", he barked into the receiver.

"Luke, it's me. I think I have a bat in my attic. Please come over!", a panicked voice greeted him.

"Lorelai?"

"Hurry, please", she said and hung up.

As if on autopilot Luke changed back into a pair of jeans, but kept on his dark green t-shirt. He quickly walked over to Lorelai's house. _Stupid fancy school, why can't the teachers tell their students what they know, instead of making everything a project? First the chick, now a bat? What's this project anyway? _He jogged up the stairs, and knocked on her door.

This shouldn't have surprised him, but it did when Lorelai grabbed him by the collar again, and pulled him inside, again, not two weeks after she did it the last time. He quickly wondered why Lorelai would do that, since she had said the bat was in her attic, not the living room. He couldn't finish this thought though, since as soon as he was fully inside her house and the door closed, he found her lips on his, kissing him hungrily. Without warning, her tongue pushed past his lips and impatiently explored his warm mouth. Her hands were roaming his back, and she pulled him into the living room.

"Lorelai", he moaned between their kisses, _her kisses_ he corrected in his head.

She moaned in response, and urged him upstairs. They had to separate for the climb, a break Luke used for asking the question that kept popping up in his head.

"Lorelai? What were you thinking? What's this? What are we doing? Are you sure this is a good idea? What brought this on? What project is this? Should they even give their students bats?", he said half in rant mode.

When they reached the upstairs landing, she turned around, and put her hand over his mouth.

"Luke, calm down. There is no bat. I just needed to see you", Lorelai explained calmly and went back to kissing him, less urgent this time.

The longer they kissed, the slower did the kiss become.

"You are allowed to touch me, you know?", she smiled.

"Lorelai, what-?", he asked before he was interrupted.

"Luke, stop. Stop asking questions. There is only one answer. I want you."

When he didn't react to her bluntness, she pulled him into her bedroom, closed the door, and started undressing him.

"Am I dreaming?", he asked a little reluctant.

"No, it really is me", she said and mildly pinched his flat nipples. Luke hadn't even noticed that she had taken off his t-shirt already.

"Ooh, just like I like them" she remarked at the look of his now hardened nipples, and licked them.

Lorelai started unbuttoning his jeans, and let them drop to the floor. She sank to her knees to undo his boots, and took off his socks. When he was finally naked, she led him back to her bed, where he sat on the edge. Lorelai reached for a pillow, and put it on the floor, just to kneel on it seconds later. He watched her, and couldn't believe what she is about to do. But before she did _that_, she took off her top, threw it across the room, undid her bra, and shrugged it off her shoulders. Luke looked at the rosy peaks of her breasts, and Lorelai gently pushed his torso back. She scooted closer to the edge of the bed, teased his thighs with her hardening nipples before they settled right below his balls. Lorelai licked her lips, and took hold of his semi-erect cock.

"I called you because of this, I needed _this_, it's all I've been thinking about today, and yesterday, and the days before that", Lorelai whispered as she slowly stroked his member.

She then lowered her head and sucked his cock into her wet mouth, which made Luke moan very loudly.

"Shhh", she said, "We're not alone in the house."

His eyes snapped open. "What?", he asked in shock.

"Relax, she's asleep, and her room is not directly under this one."

He wanted to protest, wanted to tell her that they should probably wait. But then she stroked the base of his cock while its head made contact with her throat, and he had to force himself not to cry out in pleasure.

"Holy shit", he said, and Lorelai repeated the motion. And again. And again.

"Mmmhhhhh", she hummed, and the vibrations of her voice made him even harder.

"Oh yes", she heard him moan.

Luke could feel the familiar tingle in his balls. Her mouth simply felt too good. Warm and wet. That and the heavenly suction, mixed with the image of her hollowed cheeks brought him a lot closer to his release. He couldn't stand to look at her anymore, he wanted to close his eyes, and just feel, but at the same time he needed to see those beautiful blue eyes, clouded with lust. Lorelai stroked the base of his shaft faster, and brought the tip of her tongue to the roof of her mouth, so that the soft tip of his cock could feel the velvety underside of her tongue.

"Oh God, Lorelai", Luke said.

She kept pumping his hard cock with her hand, while her mouth showered its underside with kisses. She kissed all the way down to his balls, sucked them into her mouth, and massaged them with her tongue. Luke went nearly insane with the pleasure she gave him.

"I'm so fucking close."

Lorelai sucked his cock back into her mouth, stroked him with her right hand, and let her left one explore his balls. She fondled them in her palm, while her fingertips reached for the area just below them. She could feel he wouldn't last any longer, so she pressed her finger to his perineum. She felt his orgasm ripple through his cock, she hummed again, and sucked his tip deep into her mouth, where she milked him dry. Luke first almost yelled her name, then he said it quieter, until only whispers left his mouth, as his features relaxed more and more. She kept licking his weakening pole, and his hands slowly let go of her hair. When all of the blood went back to his brain, he slowly and carefully pulled Lorelai up, and kissed her passionately.

"Did that really just happen, or am I dreaming again?", he asked as he looked into her eyes, and stroked across her cheek.

"It sure did happen. Wait. Again? Why again?", she wanted to know.

Luke cleared his throat, and moved them both on the bed so that they were both lying on their sides, facing each other.

"I dreamed about this. Just last night", he admitted quietly.

Lorelai stroked over his arm, and pulled herself even closer to him.

"You dreamed that I would lure you into my house under false pretenses to suck your cock?", she asked him incredulously.

"No, um, I dreamed that you came into the diner and spread your juices on my lip and right before I wanted to lick them off, I woke up", Luke said sheepishly.

"Luke! Seriously? That's incredibly naughty, and very hot!"

He smiled and nodded.

"And this happened last night?"

"More like early this morning..."

"Is that why you avoided me at breakfast?"

Luke shrugged, then nodded again. "I felt like shit! Fantasizing about my best friend like that."

"Hey, don't apologize! How long has this been going on?"

"Since you and me were on all fours behind the counter in the diner", he lied as his arms snaked around her waist before they settled on her still denim-clad ass.

"I guess that triggered this evening for me as well. Not that I wouldn't have thought of you before...", Lorelai admitted.

"Really?", he asked her to which she nodded. "Then what changed?"

"Sookie tipped me off. I denied everything, but ultimately she was right."

"So Chilton doesn't have a crazy bat experiment?"

"No, the bat is also Sookie's invention. Apparently it's what people do. Make up stories about unusual animals in their homes to get laid..."

"But you haven't gotten laid", he smiled.

"Yet", she stated matter-of-factly.

And with that, he kissed her sweetly.

It was unusual but Lorelai woke up very early, the sun had barely risen. She stretched her limbs, and saw Luke's back in front of her. She stroked from his broad shoulders down the steep slope to his narrow hips, where she snaked her hand around this stomach. She played with the dusting of hair that covered his muscles. She kissed the nape of his neck until he woke up. Luke turned around and blinked at her.

"Morning, this wasn't a dream", she said with a tired smile.

"Yes, it was. Only better. Sorry I fell asleep", Luke told her.

"Doesn't matter, I slept great. Do you want anything for breakfast?", Lorelai asked him.

"Only you", he said, and got under the sheet, where he quickly removed the jeans she had slept in. He took her panties with him, and faster than she could process buried himself in her sex.

Lorelai gasped, and pushed the sheet from both of them. She looked at him in bewilderment. Apprently Luke meant what he said, he would have her for breakfast. His tongue pushed past her folds and licked her clit teasingly. Lorelai started moaning immediately, and held her hand over her mouth to keep the volume down. Luke's tongue flicked at her clit, and sucked it gently into his mouth. His hands found her breasts, he kneaded them and rolled her nipples between her fingers. This stimulation triggered a surge of her juices. He finally could taste her.

"Delicious", he groaned.

He used two fingers to penetrate her, and Lorelai now shamelessly rode his face to get the much needed friction.

"Oh Luke, please don't stop", Lorelai moaned and bunched the sheets in her fists.

Luke sucked her clit deeper into his mouth and flicked his tongue against it with more force. She felt so hot on his tongue, tasted so sweet. His fingers quickened the pace, and he brought more pressure to her clit.

"Oh God, yes", she chanted, and he could feel her inner walls clenching his fingers, drawing them in deeper.

Lorelai grabbed his head as her hips writhed in pleasure. Luke gently bit her clit and pushed her over the edge. Before she could recover and come down from her high, he positioned his rock hard cock at her entrance, and slid into her tight heat. Her fading orgasm was enough to grab his cock and massage ít. Both moaned at the sensation the contact brought. Luke started thrusting into her, first slow and deep, then faster with shorter strokes. When Lorelai felt the knot in her stomach tighten, she lifted her legs over his hips where she locked them. She rocked against him, her hands cupped his ass, and she tried to pull him closer still.

"Lorelai", Luke croaked, and he leaned down to kiss her hungrily.

Luke nuzzled her neck before he buried his face in her fragrant curls. She clenched her inner walls to make him even more crazy. Unfortunately, it didn't have the wanted effect. He pulled his cock almost all the way out and stimulated the first couple inches of her with short, hesitant strokes. Before the pout was visible, he pulled completly out and thrusted deeply into her wetness. A low guttural groan escaped her throat, so he repeated the motion. He thrusted deep into her, and he hit all the right spots.

"So good", she moaned.

He picked up the pace again, and soon Lorelai was chanting his name and he exploded inside her. Heavily panting, and still connected in the most intimate way, Luke tried to keep his weight off of Lorelai. She pulled him down for a gentle kiss, and stroked down his strong back, before she squeezed his firm ass.

"Lorelai, I'm squishing you", he said and rolled over on his side.

She whimpered at the loss of their connection.

"That was incredible. Wow!", Lorelai said as her heartrate went back to normal.

"I can't believe how good that felt", he agreed.

"Better believe it, because we are so doing _that_ again!"

"I mean, how could we not, that would be such a waste."

"So, what are we really having for breakfast?", Lorelai asked Luke.

"I'm afraid I can't stay, but you can come by the diner. I'll make you anything you want."

"Anything?", she said and wiggled her eyebrows.

"Sure", he nodded.

"If I had known that you'd lose all your moxie as soon as I had you in my bed, I'd have blown you years ago", she giggled.

"You're a naughty thing, you know that?", he said and started tickling her until her laughter became too loud.

"Well, you gave me a _carte blanche_, how can you expect me to not want everything?"

"Everything?", he asked her.

"Everything", she confirmed calmly.

"What does _everything_ entail?", he asked carefully.

"I hope you ask me out on a date sometime soon, and after that we could have more dates, and hopefully more toe-curling orgasms. After a few months time, I think we should move in together, and if that works out and you're not too repulsed by my behavior, maybe you'll have mercy and make an honest woman out of me", Lorelai explained calmly.

When he didn't react, she looked up to him, and found him with a furrowed brow. "Luke? Oh no, it was too much. I'm sorry!"

"Lorelai, I was expecting you to list the grossest breakfast buffet in recorded history. So gimme a moment to let it all sink in."

"If it helps, I was half-kidding. So it's not like this is how it's going to go. We can start with the date, if you have me", Lorelai offered and stroked his stubbly cheek.

"Of course I'll take you out on a date. I just didn't think you'd think so far ahead. Uh man, that didn't come out right. Sorry. What I meant was that I was under the impression that this was a spontaneous thing, but you apparently thought about it. Not that I never thought about it, believe me, I have."

"It was spontaneous in the sense that I couldn't wait any longer. My affection for you isn't though, I like you a lot. And I have never not liked you. So I should probably come clean now and tell you that I wasn't half-kidding earlier. It's more of a 60-40 thing. Or maybe even 70-30. Possibly 80-"

His lips covered hers and she couldn't finish her sentence. She melted into their kiss.

"Lorelai, I'm in love with you."

"OK, I wasn't kidding at all. I meant what I said", she smiled.

"Good, it means we have a plan. Maybe you can tell Rory about it on your way to the diner. Because I really have to go now, or Ceasar will quit", Luke said, and got up.

As he looked around the room to find his clothes, Lorelai stared at his toned body with just the right amount of chest hair.

"You look good, you know that?", she said.

"I've heard the rumor. Now, could you help me find my underwear?"

"What if I want to keep it as my prize?"

"Do you know where it is?"

"No."

"Then help me find it and we can make a deal", he smirked.

* * *

**This is the first time in my stories that they did the horizontal hula first, and had the conversation later. I hope you liked it! Leave me a review on your way out, I only read them religiously!**


	17. Behind the Scenes

**AN**: Hi guys! Remember the Festival of Living Pictures/Art? Who else was stunned about Andrew's body? Who else wanted Luke to be the Reaper sculpture? Good, glad we're on the same page. Davey will have to wait one more night, my guess is Sookie got the elephant DNA after all...

* * *

**Behind the Scenes**

Lorelai was very well aware that she had flinched. That didn't mean Taylor could use this against her. Stupid dictator! And she had really counted on Rory's scheme, but it had been meaningless in this emergency situation. Stupid Kirk! If he hadn't been channelling Jesus last night, the crowd hadn't been so big, there would never have been such a commotion, and Andrew would never have fallen down and broken his arm. Lorelai sipped from her coffee, and waited for Luke to return to his spot on the other side of the counter.

She cleared her throat. "So, um, Luke, how are things with you?"

He eyed her suspiciously. "Fine", he said curtly.

"Do you still, uh, do your jog around the woods in the morning?", she asked him cautiously.

"Why, wanna join me tomorrow after this buffet for 20 people you just had?"

"I'm good", she said quickly and took another gulp from her mug, trying to get a glimpse of his stomach. Damn those loose-fitting plaid shirts!

"Do you need something?", he said, confused by her looks.

"I was just wondering if those clothes I got you a couple years ago still fit you..."

"For the last time, I'm not serving food in black shirt and slacks, not even on danish day!", Luke told her, his hands against the counter.

"No, no, that's not why I'm asking. But they fit, right?"

"Lorelai, what do you want?", he asked her exasperatedly.

"I've just been wondering, since it's been at least two years, maybe three measured by the bikini I wore then, that I saw you at the lake, if you're still, you know, fit, or if you've got a slacker's paunch."

"Excuse me? How come you're the one who eats like that and you expect me to look like I ate the way you do?", he said, losing his patience.

"I mean, how would I know what's going on under there", she said and motioned roughly to his midsection. "I know you eat healthy, but you still work out, right? Kate Winslet is a vegetarian, and she's beautiful, but she's not super skinny, you know?"

"For the last time: What do you want?"

"OK, I'll tell you, but you have to promise that you'll hear me out, and have an open mind."

He nodded.

"So here it goes: You probably heard that Andrew broke his arm last night, and that the Festival of Living Art is tomorrow already. Andrew was supposed to be a sculpture, completely covered in white paint. But he has a cast now, and we're looking for his replacement. And I'm still waiting for Taylor to green-light my part, so he told me I'd get it if I could find someone who'd be willing to fill in for Andrew. Which I'm now asking you to do, for me?", she said and fluttered her eyelashes.

Luke was calm, he didn't look annoyed, or offended at all. That's why Lorelai was so suprised when she heard him say, "No."

"What, why not?"

"Because I don't wanna do it. You can't force me to do it."

"Oh please Luke, this is one for the team. If _you_ won't do it, _I_ won't be able to do it. Please, Luke."

"What team?"

"The Luke and Lorelai team."

"We're a team?"

"Oh hell yeah!"

"What kind of team?"

"The super likable kind. All we have are fans, OK. All over the world. All they do is think about us, they even imagine stories about us", she babbled.

"What are you talking about?", Luke asked with knitted brows.

"OK, what kind of team do _you_ want us to be?", she sighed.

"The team with no fans, and no stories. We're the team that nobody knows, because there is nothing to know about us, OK?"

"Now you're confusing _me_. Focus, Luke. How can I sweeten this deal?"

"I don't like sweets, and I can't be bought."

"_Every_one can be bought. Ooh, I know. You don't have to give me 5 hours of slave labor for my next birthday!", she suggested excitedly.

He thought for a moment. "No, thank you."

"What, why not?", Lorelai asked. She had seriously thought he'd hate that tradition enough to be glad to be let off the hook.

"Because then I'd have to come up with a different birthday present for you."

"No, you don't have to get me anything. Ever. Please just do this for me!"

"No. I fixed their stupid table already. Could you please let this topic go now?"

"Never! This is possibly my only chance to redeem myself. I flinched the last time, and I want to show everyone that that was a one time occurrence. Please, Luke. I'll clean your apartment for an entire month!"

"No."

"An entire year!"

"No."

"I'll do it naked!", she blurted out, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

Lorelai scanned the diner, relieved to see it was almost empty this morning. She noticed Luke's raised left eyebrow and his smug smile.

"Are you seriously considering this?"

"I'm not the one who suggested it", he smiled.

"Do you maybe wanna use this rag to wipe off your cocky grin, mister?", she said, and took the rag from his hands only to throw it into his face.

_So, that was it_, Lorelai thought. She finished her coffee, paid for breakfast, and went to the old Dragonfly to her meeting with Sookie and Tom. Thinking about Luke's refusal, she really couldn't blame him. Before bringing it up, she desperately thought about what she could say to make him do it, because he owed her one. But that was the thing though, Luke _never_ owed her one, because he never asked her for favors. Lorelai could also comprehend that, since it took her years before accepting someone else's help, and much longer to actually bring herself to ask for favors. Favors equaled a bitter aftertaste for Lorelai. When she was younger, every favor came with a sacrifice of some sort, so she had stopped asking for them. With her independence came the promise to herself to never let herself be manipulated into doing anything she never wanted, like calling her mother's hideous DAR friend Cecily Pendelem for her birthday, only because Lorelai always received an envelope for hers.

Lorelai made it through the day without many distractions after that, but she avoided the diner for dinner, and went straight to the dress rehearsal, which meant she had to put on Rory's make-up, and make sure all the costumes were perfect.

"Hey, mom?", Rory asked.

"Yeah?", Lorelai replied with a pin between her front teeth.

"Maybe I could talk to Taylor again?"

"That's sweet of you to offer, hon, but it's too late. The festival is tomorrow, and I don't see any way to get in at this point. The statue is crossed off the list, Taylor is mad about it, but he didn't want to compromise on my idea of a modern interpretation with Andrew in his cast and covered in graffiti. It's alright, really. I flinched last time, and that's my well-deserved punishment. OK, your dress looks fine now, twirl!", she ordered.

Rory did just that, and went to Patty to wait for further instructions. Lorelai took the pin cushion off her wrist, and went to the art nouveau clock girl to cover her skin in gold.

"Hey, Cecilia, where's Andrew?", Lorelai asked.

"Let's just say I took care of him", she replied with a knowing grin.

"Did you have anything to do with his arm?"

"I'm just messing with you. But I'm really glad I got him off my back."

"OK, let's start get you looking like Shirley Eaton, only less... um, dead."

It took Lorelai 20 minutes to coat Cecilia in gold, and afterwards she stood back and admired her work.

"How do I look?", the model asked.

"Auric Goldfinger would be very proud", Lorelai smiled. "Who's next?"

"Me, I guess."

Lorelai turned around to see Luke in front of her.

"Luke", she said with a little question mark.

"Yeah, let's get this over with", he mumbled, and took off his flannel.

"Let me update Taylor..."

"I got it covered. I told him to kick the other Renoir girl out again", he grumbled.

"You're the best", she said and gave him a quick hug.

"So, um, how does this work exactly?", he wondered.

"You can put the white paint on as many spots you can reach, and I'll do the rest, which will probably be just your back", Lorelai explained.

"And how far... down will I have to go?", he asked with a familiar uneasiness.

"Why, Butch? Missed your last bikini wax?", Lorelai said with the only purpose of making his cheeks even redder. "Relax, Luke. Your bellybutton will be far enough."

Lorelai was busy with the costumes and keeping the apostels safe from Kirk for the next half hour, and returned to Luke in the little nook she had shown him to.

"How's it going?", she asked as she came closer to him.

"I'm definitely not doing my face first tomorrow, it really feels uncomfortable", he complained.

"I'm sorry. Let me help you with your back, and then I have to do my face."

Luke nodded and handed the white paint and little make-up sponge to Lorelai. He turned around, and Lorelai was surprised at how little she would still have to do.

"Wow, you've reached a lot of spots", she remarked.

He remained silent. Lorelai started applying the white color along his spine. Did Luke just flinch a little? As she stepped closer, she noticed the pale freckles between his shoulder blades. She had never taken such a close look at him before. She had always imagined he'd be muscular, but she almost felt like a scientist with a magnifying glass at the moment. His back was very firm, and she coudn't smell fries or bacon, which meant he had taken a shower before he got here. Lorelai was done in no time due to Luke's good groundwork.

"Could you turn so I can take a look at the rest?", she requested.

"Sure", he muttered, and turned to face her.

Lorelai added white paint to a few more spots around his torso, before she took a closer look at his face.

"Don't flinch, OK, there's a spot between your right eye and your nose", Lorelai warned him.

She took her index finger and dipped it into the paint. Lorelai held her breath before she cautiously spread the color on the delicate skin next to Luke's closed eye. Luke's pulse raced the entire time. She had given him goosebumps multiple times, but he prayed that she hadn't noticed. He would have much preferred if Babette or Miss Patty had put on his make-up. Even if they had decided to ogle him like they had never ogled him before, and mocked him afterwards for years, it still would have been better than letting Lorelai touch him. Though he considered her his best friend by a long shot, their relationship had never been physical. They barely hugged, or even touched each other's shoulders or arms. The whole issue was a huge taboo between the both of them. He probably could count on one hand how much they had hugged each other in almost a decade. He was thinking back almost exactly one year, when he had again come close to having physical contact with Lorelai. Then she had asked him to be her partner at the dance marathon. Luke would rather be considered the town loner instead of telling his best friend he would have to avoid to touch her or else he would want to touch her everywhere, all the time. It was a line they had danced around pretty much since she had stopped calling him Duke. And now he was so sick of it. He was hoping that this would put them in the friend zone forever, or the exact opposite, and they'd become more than friends. Either way, he had to know.

Lorelai on the other hand was trying very hard to focus on tiny patches of Luke's skin, and not take in the whole picture. A few glances here and there had told her already what she had been assuming all along: He was a freaking Adonis.

Lorelai gave him a once over, and nodded approvingly. "Your cheeks are too stubbly. You should probably shave tomorrow before the show."

"OK", he nodded, adding, "How many times will I have to shower to get this paint off my skin again?"

She scanned the paint package. "It says here that it will all go away with one long, hot shower."

"Good. When's my turn?", he asked her.

"I'll go check with Patty."

One hour later, the rehearsal was over, and Lorelai smiled happily because she was the Renoir girl again. Luke walked up to her as she was about to leave.

"Hey."

"Oh hi. You should go in white more often, you really got this statue thing down."

"Could you maybe help me open the door at the diner? I don't want to get my keys and the door knob all white", Luke asked.

"Wow, Luke is asking me for a favor... Sure!"

"What do you mean? I've asked you for favors before", Luke said and they started walking to the diner.

"No, you haven't."

"Of course I have. I called you that one time when I looked for an apartment last year", he defended himself.

"Yeah, exactly, that _one_ time", Lorelai replied, adding, "I was the one who made you paint the diner, I had to basically convince you to let me help you when Louie died, and God knows my advice regarding Jess was unsolicited."

"Yeah, well, maybe that was wrong of me. I'm used to doing things all by myself."

"That one certainly calls for a dirty!", she smiled and tried very hard not bump her shoulder into his. "OK, where are your keys?"

"In my pocket", Luke said and rolled his hip so she could have better access.

Lorelai carefully fished for the keys, and shook them triumphantly when she found them. She opened the door for Luke, and naturally walked over to hold the curtain aside. She climbed the stairs in front of him and opened the apartment door to let him in.

"Alright, so I'm off, but we'll see each other tomorrow. I don't know if I'll stop by the diner. We'll start with the preparations at five pm. Nobody said it better than a Canadian neo-prog band: Don't be late", she told him.

He smiled. He had no idea what she was referring to.

* * *

At 4.55 the next day, Luke left the diner in Ceasar's capable hands, and walked to the town square. He was almost looking forward to the festival, and immediately questioned his sanity. Looking forward to seeing Lorelai? Maybe. Looking forward to the festival? Definitely not. He nodded a little as he entered the backstage area, and quickly found a quiet place to apply his make-up.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold on there, soldier", Lorelai came right after him.

"What?", he said with widened eyes and a bit of a terrified expression on his face.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm taking my clothes off to cover me in white paint? Wow, you really _do_ need coffee to function!", he commented her absence at the diner for the entire day, and handed her a paper cup of his coffee.

"That's not what I meant. Thanks for the coffee", she smiled as she grabbed the cup from his hands and took a greedy gulp. "And when did you find your sense of humor?"

"Right between making heart-shaped pancakes for Kirk, and oatmeal for Babette. So, what's the matter?"

"Luke, do you know what time it is?"

"It's five o'clock."

"Do you know when the show starts?"

"No."

"It starts at seven. Your turn is not until after 8, so do you want to run around naked for three hours without being able to put a coat on?"

"Then what the hell am I here for? You said five, it's five!", he almost yelled.

"Well, you can keep me company."

"Are you saying I could have come later after all?"

"Well, no. Taylor wants everyone to be on time. But I thought I'd warn you about the temperatures in November. Didn't know I had to do that... Anyway, maybe you shouldn't start until the show starts. That way maybe we can keep you from getting hypothermia or pneumonia."

He mumbled his response, but Lorelai didn't exactly understand him. She had enough on her plate with the costumes as it was, so she started dressing the models. A smile here, a chat there, before she knew it, it was almost 7. She was making her rounds as she spotted Luke dressed only in boxershorts with a confused look on his face.

"Hey, what's up?", she asked him.

"Could you help me? This paint is different from the one I used yesterday. I feel like I'm doing more damage than good", Luke explained as he motioned to his underwear and Lorelai saw more paint on it than on his skin.

"Sure."

She immediately knew what he meant. This paint was more liquid than the other one, and she had to be quick or else everything would just run down his body. For the first few minutes she only focussed on the paint, but when she had it under control, she again took a closer look at Luke. She couldn't keep her eyes from wandering. Of course she saw Luke as a handsome man, but she never had questioned what made him handsome. His long, straight nose, the blue eyes that were framed by long lashes, his nice smile.

"What's with the stare?", she heard him ask.

"I'm not staring, I'm just wondering how I'll do your face without this stupid paint getting in your eyes and mouth", she said, and thanked herself for being so inventive with her quick response.

"But you're doing my arm at the moment."

"So? I'm just thinking ahead."

Lorelai went back to his arm, and couldn't help but smile.

"What now?", he asked a little annoyed.

"Nothing, it's just been forever since I last saw your tattoo. Hello, old friend!", she greeted the patch of skin on his upper arm.

"Do not talk to my tattoo", he mumbled.

"Relax, I'm just saying hi to an old friend."

"You're nuts."

"Did you ever think about refreshing it?"

"The ink? Nah."

"Why not?"

"Because it was a stupid idea in the first place."

"You know, you never told me the story."

He sighed. "I got it when I was on the track team. One half got it on their left arm, the other on the right."

"Did you get in trouble with your dad afterwards?"

"He never found out. Got close one year in the summer. He wanted me to work with him in our backyard, and it was very hot. But I would rather have worn a fur coat instead of taking my t-shirt off that day."

Lorelai had now made her way to his face, so he was forced to stop talking. Not that he minded, talking wasn't his thing anyway.

"I think I'd better use my fingertips. This damn paint is too liquid. I think I'm faster that way", she announced, to which Luke gave a nod.

What else was he supposed to do? Tell her not to because he didn't want her to touch every square inch of his face with her fingers because his skin might catch fire? Before she reached his eyes, he studied her face that was already in make-up. Her mouth was in constant movement, and he tried his hardest not to smile. It was much easier to do that when he could start ranting instead. She now carefully put the little bathing cap on his head before his statue wig was placed atop.

"Wow, you don't look so bad. I have no idea why this motivated Blue Oyster Cult to write a song about you. I'm not afraid at all."

"Do you have some sort of bet going on with Rory about who can fit the most references into casual conversations?"

"Great song. Well, not great, just kinda... there, you know."

"What?", he asked in utter confusion.

"Supertramp. Casual Conversations. It's a song on their Breakfast in America album."

"Are you trying to prove _my_ point here?"

"I never knew sculptures could be so chatty. Care to shut up for a moment?"

* * *

"I did it! I didn't flinch!", Lorelai squealed a little over an hour later.

"Don't you mean 'I didn't it' then?", Rory wondered.

"I don't care, I'm a rock star. I didn't flinch!", she repeated and threw her arms above her head in a victorious pose.

"Hey, what's Luke doing over there?", Rory asked and motioned over to the diner where a paint-covered Luke tried in vain to open the diner door.

"I'll go help him, meet you at home?"

"Actually, I think I'll just go back to New Haven after washing this off at home. Don't be mad, OK, but I think it's better to wake up in my dorm because I could sleep longer than if I stayed here. I have a class first thing tomorrow morning."

"OK, hon. Drive safely", Lorelai said and offered her daughter a one-sided hug.

They parted ways, and Lorelai jogged over to the diner. She shook her head when she saw Luke clad in jeans and nothing else.

"Are you trying to kill yourself?", she asked him.

"That's exactly what I've been thinking the last seven years when you ordered breakfast, lunch and dinner."

She helped him with the door, held the curtain aside again, and let him into his apartment. Luke went straight for the bathroom.

"Mind if I wash my face in the sink? I feel so painty."

"Not at all. I wish I could give you a towel, but I would get it all white", he shrugged.

"It's OK. Tell me where you keep your towels."

Luke motioned to his linen closet between kitchen and Jess' old bed, and Lorelai helped herself. As soon as he had disappeared, she went to the kitchen sínk and waited for the water to heat up. She carefully rubbed her face, and tried not to get her sweater wet. When she was done, she patted her face dry with the towel, and rummaged through her purse to find moisturizer. She found a tube of hand cream, and gladly applied a dab of it on her face.

Lorelai walked through the apartment and sat down on Luke's couch. She leaned back and closed her eyes for a moment. It had been a few crazy days. The festival, Sookie's pregnancy, touching Luke's torso... She didn't know if she had ever studied a man like that. She sure hadn't been in relationships long enough to do that with any of her boyfriends. She had never looked at Christopher that closely, since their sexual encounters over the years had been more a compare and contrast of his former features and how they had developed. His body had changed over the decades, naturally, but she never searched for the details. And when she had been younger, the few times she had sex with other guys had been fairly quick. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't sure if any of the guys she had been with had been studying _her_ in detail either. She was pulled out of her thoughts when Luke came out of the bathroom, only in a towel wrapped around his waist.

"Lorelai!", he said surprised.

"I, uh, just sat here for a moment to relax. Sorry", she said and turned her head away to give him some privacy.

"I thought you'd left already."

Lorelai turned back to him, saw him almost naked, and knew she had to do something. She stood up, and walked to him. She saw him clearly.

"What, did I miss a spot?", he asked.

But before he could fully register, she had already closed the distance between the two of them, and pressed a soft, moist kiss on his lips. Her hands snaked around his back, and she pressed her entire body into his. She ran her hands through his wet hair, and kissed him hungrily.

"I can't stop touching you", she mumbled between kisses.

Luke snapped out of his shock, and kissed her back. He hummed when their tongues dueled and he felt her hands on his ass.

"Need to touch you", she said when they parted for air.

He moaned in response, and kissed her mouth, across her jaw, her neck, and sucked her delicate skin into his mouth. Lorelai had since loosened his towel and it fell on the floor.

"You're still dressed", he commented.

"That's because you're slow to catch up", she smirked.

"I only had one item of clothing, if you can even call it that. You had it easy", he commented as he took her sweater off.

She froze. "Is this really happening?"

"What?"

"That I'm falling for my best friend?"

"Welcome to the club", he smiled shyly.

Lorelai kissed him again, and he opened the clasp of her bra behind her back. Luke immediately covered her exposed breasts with his hand and mouth, and suckled her nipples greedily. He sat down on his bed, and pulled Lorelai by her waisteband so that she stood right in front of him. He buried his face in the valley between her breasts, and her skin prickled from his already existent stubble.

"Damn, that feels good", she commented.

Luke helped her out of her pants. She steadied herself on his shoulders. As soon as he had accomplished his task, she lay down on him, their bodies connected from shoulder to toes.

"God, Lorelai", he moaned at their contact.

"Hmmm?"

"Could you be any more sexy? You make me crazy."

"Not as crazy as you made me earlier. And now. How come I never touched you?", Lorelai asked, and stroked down his arms.

"My turn", he said and flipped them over.

He leaned back and looked at her in awe. Then he started to kiss every patch of skin he could reach. When he tugged at her nipples with his teeth, Lorelai was quickly losing her patience, and was eager to eliminate the last barrier between them: her panties.

"Protection?", she asked to signal she was ready. More than ready. The state she was in was like ready happened two days ago.

"Bathroom", he said and soon was on his way there.

When he returned, Lorelai almost pulled him back into bed, and kissed him deeply.

"You look like a Greek god", she said between their kisses.

"No, I don't."

"Stop being humble and start making love to me", she requested.

Luke put on the condom, and positioned his cock at her entrance. When Lorelai moved her hips toward him, he pulled back a little.

"Hey!"

Luke grinned cockily. He rubbed his hard member along her slit, and he swore he saw her flinch a little when he connected it to her clitoris. When he repeated the motion, her sharp intake of air signaled her pleasure. Luke increased the pressure when he rubbed his dick upwards for the third time.

"Luke!", she half-moaned, half-whimpered.

But he didn't stop. After two more repeats, Lorelai felt her orgasm approach quicker than she could say "There's a sale at Sephora next Tuesday". She gripped a pillow with one hand and the sheet with the other, and moved her pelvis toward Luke.

"Don't stop", she begged and arched her back.

Luke couldn't believe the sight she was in that very moment. He would have given her everything she wanted to see her this wild, fierce and free: a swimming pool full of coffee, the world's largest cheeseburger, a kidney. When her orgasm hit her, Lorelai's eyes snapped open and he could see right into her soul. Luke entered her quivering core in one swift motion, and Lorelai pulled him down for a passionate kiss. The coarse hair on his chest teased her nipples into taut points. For the moment, she was perfectly happy with their deep kisses, but soon she wanted more. She moved her hips, and locked her legs behind his back. Luke started to move in slow, deep thrusts, their lips connected the entire time.

"Oh yes", Lorelai moaned.

Luke carefully put her legs on his shoulders, and the new angle made him go even deeper.

"Lorelai", Luke croaked.

The base of his cock brushed her clit every time he entered her. This was new to Lorelai. She was about to climax for a second time the same night. Luke had his eyes closed, and looked almost like he was in pain.

"Let go, Luke", she whispered. "I'm close again."

He pounded into her with abandon, and right before he felt the last ounce of control snap, her walls closed around him before she milked him with her own orgasm. Luke came in hot hard spurts, and chanted her name repeatedly. Her heart heavily pounding in her chest, she lowered her legs from his shoulders, and pulled him close for a hug and a sweet kiss.

"Not to imagine what you could have done had you been prepared for that", she smiled.

"I think then I would have been nervous actually."

"You may deny looking like a Greek god, but I might as well start calling you Eros."

Luke rolled off of her to dispose of the condom in the bathroom.

He came back to bed, where Lorelai instantly went back to touching him.

"Well, maybe I'll start calling you Venus", he smiled.

"Cool, this means I'll have an anthem by Bananarama already. Hey, have you ever wondered how British people pronounce Bananarama? I mean, they say banana kind of funny, while at the same time they pronounce banoffee the same way we do. Why is tha-"

But he interrupted her with a kiss.

"You're crazy", he said.

"I'll never be able to stop touching you ever again."

"Then don't."

"You're pretty."

"I don't think that's the correct word for men."

"Have you been recently employed by Merriam-Webster? Maybe it's the perfect word for you since you're unlike every other man I've been with."

He gave her a confused look. "How?"

"I've never, you know, twice in such a short period of time", she admitted a bit shyly.

"And that makes me pretty? _You're_ pretty. You looked more beautiful than ever when you did. I've never seen you without make-up."

"Don't get used to it", she told him as she stroked his cheek. "How come you already have a stubble? Are you a werewolf or something?"

"No, I usually shave at night right before going to bed."

"Why?"

"The reason why I hate shaving isn't laziness. My skin is sensitive, and when I shave in the morning and then work the grill all day, I start sweating, my skin turns red and is all itchy. Shaving at night prevents that."

"Wow, I didn't know that. I just figured some old girlfriend told you that look worked for you, and since you're a creature of habit, you maintained it."

"That's only part of it", he admitted.

Lorelai shot him a surprised look.

"Don't act all surprised, I know how to flirt as well, and I believe I told you so already."

"Yeah, right after telling me you whored yourself to get me a cup of coffee. You're basically my hero, Luke Danes."

"Yeah, I got you that cup of coffee, but didn't tell you how I felt. Even back then..."

"I get it though."

"You do?"

"Kind of. I mean it's hard when you've gone beyond a certain point. It's like when you're introduced to someone and they didn't get your name, and it's just too late to correct them."

Luke shook his head. "But this isn't just some correction. This is my life, your life." He swallowed. "How do you wanna proceed from here?"

Lorelai fully turned to him, and pressed a soft kiss on his lips. "Dinner would be nice."

"When? Tomorrow too soon?"

"I actually meant now. I'm starving."

"Of course you are..."

* * *

**If anyone wonders what happened to Nicole: I don't care. Maybe they're already divorced in this story, maybe not. Tell me how you liked this chapter in a short review. **


End file.
